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KINSMAN -- Township trustees have returned a $30,000 donation to the Friends of Kinsman since the planned police garage project is not proceeding.
Trustee Chairman Bruce Bancroft said at a recent meeting Jason Toth, assistant county prosecutor, sent the trustees a resolution to close the Capital Project-Police Garage Fund. Trustees approved having Toth petition the Court of Common Pleas for permission to close out the Capital Project-Police Garage Fund, because of the township's inability to obtain American Rescue Plan funds requested from the Trumbull County Commissioners.
In addition to the $30,000 donation being returned to the Friends of Kinsman, the remaining $53,000 in the fund will be transferred to the General Fund for the trustees to determine how it will be used should the fund be closed out.
It has been one year since the old police building was sold to Carol and Kenny Wilson. Trustees said the Wilsons have allowed the police vehicles to stay parked in the garage and the township has paid one half of the utilities.
Beginning Aug. 1, trustees agreed to lease the old police garage for parking of police vehicles for a 6-month term at $400 per month.
A condition of the lease is to clean out police and zoning rooms, and all police items.
Trustees also have been discussing with fire department personnel the possibility of housing police vehicles at the fire hall.
Bancroft said the county commissioner's deadline to decide ARP fund distribution is in September. He said the township has submitted three grant requests.
He said commissioners might have about $10 million to distribute for grant requests.
Bancroft suggested they could use ARP money to repair playground euipment in Kinsman Park.
In other business, trustees received a survey from the Trumbull County Planning Commission regarding designation of township land for the purposes of wind or solar farms. Trustees voted to designate "none" of Kinsman Township's land area as a restricted area prohibiting the construction of an economically significant wind farm, a large wind farm, or a large solar facility. Trustees feel that much of the land in Kinsman is restricted and the zoning resolution addresses much of township property usage, so there is no need to further regulate township residents' properties:
Also, residents at a recent meeting asked the township to do what it can to attract businesses to Kinsman to raise the tax base.
Trustee Greg Leonhard explained that it could attract businesses by installing sidewalks and enforcing zoning resolutions.
"We may never have a big factory since we do not have a public water supply," he said.
PARK USAGE
Trustees addressed Rebecca Davis on behalf of Maplewood Little Rockets Football. Davis told the trustees they are planning to use the Kinsman Park for five games. She apologized for using the concession stand without the trustees' permission as it was a misunderstanding. Their league has taken on Badger players as well as Pymatuning Valley players.
Bancroft said the trustees told Davis that her league is welcome in Kinsman, and that they wish she would have come to the meeting to speak with them.
The trustees' concern is the key and the passcode, and that should not have been given without their knowledge.
That is the township rule for use of the concession stand.
Trustees will allow the Maplewood Little Rockets to use the Kinsman Park football field for five games during their season. No copies of the key to the concession building are to be made, and the alarm code will not be given to any other person. Maplewood Little Rockets will pay $50 per game for use of the field and concession building to sell their snacks.
Davis said they do not need to cook or use the refrigerator inside the concession as they use coolers and cook outside of the building. At the end of the season, she will return the key, fill out a hold harmless agreement and provide proof of insurance to the fiscal officer.