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Trumbull County commissioners expressed interest in exploring ways to finance a study that could determine if a privately owned dam in Hubbard Township can be repaired instead of breached.
Hubbard Township Trustee Jason Tedrow on Wednesday asked the county to provide $297,700 from American Rescue Plan funds to help pay for a study that may determine the viability of saving the 107-year-old Coalburg Lake Dam.
Tedrow said he was requesting the funds as a member of a group working to save the dam, not as a township trustee. However, he added, the group has the support of Hubbard Township trustees.
The nonprofit spearheading the effort to save the dam includes the Kiler Foundation, the Hubbard Youth Coalition and himself.
Tedrow provided the commissioners a copy of a letter from Coalburg Land Partners LLC, which owns the property. The owners stated they may be agreeable to exploring options to repair the dam, instead of allowing it to be breached.
Coalburg Land Partners LLC will allow access to the property to determine whether the dam may be repaired, according to attorney Joseph J. Triscaro.
"Upon completion of any necessary and appropriate repairs to the dam, Coalburg Land Partners LLC is open to selling the subject property or granting property access to the public," Triscaro wrote in the letter. "However, Coalburg LLC expressly reserves the right to make these determinations."
Commissioner Denny Malloy said the property is privately owned and questioned whether the county should provide the money for the study without having more solid guarantees that it will be open to the public for use or owned by a public entity, such as the Trumbull County MetroParks.
"As of right now, it is not available to the public," he said.
While acknowledging the owners will allow people to go on the property to do what is necessary to stop the breach, Malloy expressed concern the property owners could allow the county to provide the financial resources to get it repaired but will retain the right to maintain it or sell it.
Tedrow emphasized the property owners previously had sought to sell the property, and he said he believes they would be willing to sell it.
Making the property an area for recreation would benefit Hubbard, Brookfield and the entire county, he said.
Tedrow indicated the property's owner likely would be willing to use the funds that would have been used for the demolition of the dam for the work needed to prevent the breach.
"He would put forth (to the county) any engineering that has been done," he said.
Malloy said he would feel more comfortable if the property was already in public hands. Commissioner Niki Frenchko said contingencies could be placed in any purchase agreement that would protect county assets.
The township has only one ARP request for restrooms being considered by the commissioners for funding. They are waiting for a legal opinion about the project.
County Auditor Martha Yoder questioned if Hubbard places an official request for ARP funds, and whether this potential process should be placed toward the front of the list for consideration by the law firm reviewing all ARP fund requests.
Hubbard Township had a $250,000 ARP request for a salt dome that was not approved for funding. This project could replace that request.
"I am in favor of swapping it," Frenchko said.
While speaking at the Hubbard Township Trustees meeting Tuesday, Tedrow said he is waiting to hear if any grants are available from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
He said he would like to put together a public information meeting with trustees, county officials, the Ohio Attorney General's Office and ODNR to discuss stopping the planned breaching of the dam late next summer.
"We want to explore options on repairing the dam," he said. "We want to move forward and have studies done on the property. It will take a partnership of everyone working together to get this accomplished and make the land available for public use."
Residents Kendall Burrus and Mary Lou Reder, along with others, have circulated a petition to prevent the dam's demolition, which was set to take place by Sept. 30. Reder said they have obtained more than 1,000 signatures. Coalburg Lake is located in both Brookfield and Hubbard townships and consists of 101 acres.
rsmith@tribtoday.com