HOWLAND — With the $65,000 Trumbull County MetroParks is receiving from the county commissioners this year to keep the parks open through June 30, park officials are reaching out to area foundations for additional funding to extend the openings beyond that date.

Trumbull MetroParks Director Zachary Svette said at Thursday’s park board meeting he has applied for grant assistance with the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and Mercy Health Foundation, and has also been in talks with and will meet next week with the Youngstown Foundation.

He said he is not sure what grant amounts will be available, but he said he hopes it can help cover the last half of the year for the parks.

Svette said there is also discussion to go back to the commissioners to ask for additional funds this year for the park budget for the remainder of the year.

The board approved placing the $65,000 approved by the commissioners in the park budget.

“We will see how long this lasts us. We will see what grants we can get to get other things done,” Svette said.

The board did approve Thomas Holbrook and Randy Sampson as independent contractors at $15 per hour each up to $5,000 for April 1 to June 30 for needed work at parks, as well as a contract with United Site Services at $688 for portable

restrooms at Clarence Darrow Park in Champion and Sunnyside Trailhead in Bristol for May and June while parks are open.

Svette said the plans are to get electricity back on at the trailhead.

The board also approved a sub-recipient grant agreement for the Appalachian Community grant program for the Western Reserve Greenway Trail renovation at $263,663.

Svette said the project is to correct a needed slide repair at the bridge on the bike trail in Bristol.

Svette said all other projects are on hold due to limited funds in the budget.

He said the parks will remain open at least until the end of June, but beyond that there is no guarantee.

The board wanted to ask the commissioners for $136,000 this year, which was the amount received in 2024, but with all county departments being asked to cut back on their requests, the board agreed to ask for less.

DAM CONCERNS

In other business, the board heard from Bob Danko of Warren Township, who was concerned there would be a delay in the Leavittsburg Dam removal with an injunction filed by the county commissioners and an appeal with the Environmental Protection Agency by the Warren Township trustees.

Danko was concerned there would be a stay of six months approved by the courts, preventing work from beginning or being delayed on the dam’s removal this year.

Danko said the Summit Street Dam was removed and the dams in Struthers and Lowellville without controversy.

Trumbull County Commissioners in February voted to seek a temporary injunction in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to prevent the MetroParks board from continuing to work on removal of the low-head Leavittsburg Dam.

A court date has been set for May 19.

Warren Township trustees filed an appeal with the Environmental Review Appeals Commission to review the basis behind the Ohio EPA issuing the permit for the dam’s removal. In December, the Ohio EPA approved removal of the dam despite objections by trustees, residents and county officials.

Board President Randy Fabrizio said he hopes a judge will understand the ramifications of delaying the removal since many funds have been made available for the project.

The park board also met for over an hour in executive session with legal counsel on pending or imminent court action.