April 28 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

We hope residents will take this opportunity to safely dispose of their unused or outdated prescription drugs on this day.

However, you should be aware that Boardman Township operates a year-round Prescription Drug Drop-off Program. Township residents can turn in unused or expired medication for safe disposal at the Boardman Township Police Department located at 8299 Market Street.

Drugs can be dropped off Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For after hours disposal (including weekends), please enter the Police Department lobby; and use the phone on the wall to speak to a dispatcher.

Please note:

  • Prescription and over-the-counter medicine disposal only.
  • No syringes or liquids.
  • No need to remove prescription labels.
  • All medications will be incinerated.

Great Turnout at Community Meetings

Boardman Township hosted two interactive community input meetings in order to help garner feedback for some of the township’s overarching strategic planning projects, with residents prioritizing their main concerns. The first meeting was held at Good Hope Community Church on Thursday, January 18th, 2018, where approximately 60 residents participated. The second meeting was held at Boardman Park on Monday, February 5th, 2018 with approximately 90 residents in attendance.

Over 600 residents responded to the online survey to voice their opinions for the future of the Township. Gift cards were randomly awarded to three residents who participated in attending meetings and filling out the online survey. Congratulations to Marissa Wilkinson ($25 Stone Fruit coffee gift card); Fred Scott ($25 Giant Eagle gift card); and Cathy Zimmerman ($25 Giant Eagle gift card).

Next Steps: Develop township-wide strategies based upon community input to develop the Building a Better Boardman comprehensive plan. Future meetings will be scheduled to review the draft with the community once it is completed.

 

Above: Community Input meeting at Good Hope Community Church – January 18, 2018

Know Your Roads! Who Is Responsible for Maintenance?

Boardman Township maintains close to 145 miles of roadways for the community. However, there are an additional 65 miles of roads in the township that are taken care of by either Mahoning County or the State of Ohio.

Most roads maintained by Boardman Township are neighborhood streets or shorter roads in less-developed areas. Major connecting streets and highways are the responsibility of Mahoning County or the state.

So if you’re concerned about the condition of a road in Boardman Township, make sure you contact the entity that is responsible for it. This page of our website has contact numbers for each of these entities, as well as a listing of roads maintained by Mahoning County or the state and a larger version of the above color-keyed map showing all roads in the township.

FirstEnergy Solutions Chosen for Township Electric Aggregation Program

Boardman Township officials are pleased to announce that they have selected FirstEnergy Solutions to serve the next term of the Township’s electric aggregation program. The Township has set a fixed rate of 5.22 cents/kWh for electricity generation for a 3-year term starting with April 2018 meter reads. Residents and small businesses should look for a mailer to arrive on or about February 16, 2018 concerning the new electric aggregation program offer from FirstEnergy Solutions.

The mailer will explain the low offer the Township negotiated and the means to opt-out should a customer not want to participate in the program. Residents will have 21 days to return an opt-out form to FirstEnergy Solutions, if they decide not to participate.

Township Administrator, Jason Loree, said, “We are delighted by the low fixed-rate of 5.22 cents/kWh for Boardman Township residents and businesses. This low rate will allow residents to predict their costs and will protect them from rising rates for the next three years. That rate is considerably lower than the alternative from the local utility, lower than the rates residents received in the previous program term, and our program will have no early termination fee.”

Mark Burns, president of Independent Energy Consultants, added that residents who have already chosen a supplier will not receive a letter, and by law, are not eligible to be automatically included in the aggregation program. Anyone in this situation wishing to join the Township’s program should contact FirstEnergy Solutions at 866-636-3749 to enroll. Before doing so, you should read your current contract as many have early termination fees if you leave before the end of your agreement.

The Township is pleased to have made this program possible but asks that you do not call the Township offices. They are not equipped to handle a large volume of calls. If residents or businesses have any questions, they should contact FirstEnergy Solutions at 1-866-636-3749 after they receive their letter.

CLICK HERE for a extensive list of Frequently Asked Questions about Boardman Township’s Electric Aggregation program prepared by Independent Energy Consultants.

“Build a Better Boardman” Planning Survey Deadline is Feb. 23

The Boardman Planning and Zoning Department recently completed two well-attended and very successful Comprehensive Planning meetings that were designed to help “Build a Better Boardman” by getting input from residents on their vision for the township’s future.

If you weren’t able to attend the meetings, you still have an opportunity to make your voice heard. From now through Friday, February 23, you can fill out an online survey that asks many questions about the direction Boardman residents feel the township should take in the coming years.

To take this survey, please click HERE. Residents who complete every question on the survey will be eligible for a drawing for gift cards to be to given away.

Note: the graphic above is a “word cloud” created from responses to the first question of the survey: “What ONE word would you use to describe Boardman?”

Survey Welcomes Public Input on Planning Efforts

In advance of the two upcoming Comprehensive Plan Meetings designed to help Build a Better Boardman, you can give your input about Boardman’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as your own vision of the future of the Township.

Township officials are encouraging the public’s participation in a detailed survey for this purpose. You can make your feelings known by clicking HERE to take the survey. Residents who complete every question on the survey will be eligible for a drawing for gift cards to be to given away.

Be sure to let us hear from you!

Todd Werth Sworn In as New Boardman Police Chief

In ceremonies at the Boardman Government Center on December 28, Todd Werth took the oath of office to begin serving as Chief of Police for Boardman Township.

Chief Werth takes over the position from former Chief Jack Nichols, who is retiring following a 40-year career with the Boardman Police Department. Werth recently retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he served as a special agent, training officer and supervisory senior resident agent for 20 years. He and his family lived in Boardman throughout that tenure.

Boardman Township Trustees selected Werth as the new Boardman Police Chief in June of 2017 from a field of 12 applicants and three finalists for the position. He has spent the intervening months shadowing Chief Nichols and learning all aspects of his new position.

L–R: Brad Calhoun, Trustee; William D. Leicht, Fiscal Officer; Todd Werth, Chief of Police; Tom Costello, Trustee; Larry Moliterno, Trustee.

Build a Better Boardman: Comprehensive Plan Meetings

If you care about the future of our township, you’ll want to join us for either or both of two upcoming meetings at which Boardman’s Comprehensive Plan will be discussed.

Data that has been collected pertaining to conditions in Boardman Township will be shared, and questions and comments about the Comprehensive Plan will be taken. Input concerning the upcoming rewrite of the Boardman Zoning Code will also be welcomed.

The meetings will be held:

  • Thursday, January 18, 5-7 p.m. at Good Hope Lutheran Church, 98 Homestead Dr.
  • Monday February 5,  5-7 p.m. at Boardman Park’s Lariccia Family Community Center, 375 Boardman-Poland Rd.

You can also make your wishes known in advance of these meetings by taking a detailed survey with questions concerning the future of Boardman Township. Click HERE to take this survey. Residents who complete every question on the survey will be eligible for a drawing for gift cards to be to given away.

 

 

C-SPAN Bus Visits Boardman High School to Encourage Civic Engagement

The C-SPAN bus is touring all 50 state capitals to celebrate the network’s 25th anniversary. It’s also making some other stops along the way, and it came to the Mahoning Valley under the sponsorship of Armstrong Cable. Boardman High School was one of the locations visited recently.

Aboard the bus are a number of interactive features and videos, and government officials also join in to enhance the experience for students and to encourage them to become engaged with government on the local, state and federal levels.

Ohio State Representative John Boccieri of Poland (D-59th) and State Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman (D-33rd) were among the officials who joined the bus in Boardman. Representing Boardman Township were Trustees Tom Costello, Larry Moliterno and Brad Calhoun; Fiscal Officer William Leicht; and Administrator Jason Loree, who is shown addressing the students.

Business Journal Video Highlights Strong Growth in Boardman

The Youngstown-Warren Business Journal recently featured a four-minute video that turns the spotlight on the growth taking place in Boardman Township.

As part of the newspaper’s “Our Towns” series, the Boardman feature — entitled “There’s No Shortage of Redevelopment In Boardman” — looks at how the township is attracting new businesses and facing the challenges of the growing online market.

Featured are township Administrator Jason Loree and Director of Zoning and Development Krista Beniston.

Click here to view the video.