Staff photo / Bob Coupland Mecca Township trustees met over the weekend as they plan for a new township hall to be located at the park. Trustees Thomas Domes, left, Dan Gladd and Christen Clemson look over renderings of the building and floor plans. A groundbreaking is set for late spring.

MECCA — Township trustees are reviewing drawings and plans for the construction of a new township hall that also will house a preschool.

Trustees over the weekend met with six residents to discuss the project, with plans to break ground in the spring and have the project completed by August or September.

Trustee Chairman Tom Domes said the township has $532,471, which includes $98,000 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources capital improvement budget, $175,000 in American Rescue Plan funds from the Trumbull County commissioners and $259,400 from the township.

Trustee Christen Clemson said plans are to seek $15,000 in federal funds to help with the project.

“Our goal is to break ground in the spring and get the building up this summer either by the end of August or early September. Right now what we are able to do depends on funding,” Clemson said.

Bids for the sanitary sewer system for the building have gone out and are expected to be returned on March 6. Next month, the bids for the building will go out in March and be received on April 3.

Clemson said the septic project will need to be addressed first and then the building since the Environmental Protection Agency also has to approve the project.

Domes said blueprint designs for the project are completed.

At the work session, trustees showed the drawings of the building’s exterior and interior layout. The town hall will have a dark gray roof and light gray siding.

While the township hall will be constructed between the pavilion and garage, the septic system will be located near the basketball court.

When the town hall is done, there will be an area for an Alta daycare/preschool to be used during the day on weekdays during the school year. The town hall will be able to be rented with fees to cover costs for upkeep of the building.

Trustees said LED lights and electronic locks and access will be used in the building.

“We need to focus on security for the town hall,” Domes said.

He said any funds not used will be for equipping the town hall, such as tables and chairs. Trustees said they will be able to hold their meetings in the new building.

SIDEWALK PROJECT

Trustees also are preparing for an upcoming sidewalk project near the township center.

Clemson said the township will contribute between $40,000 and $43,000 for the $250,000 state project, which is scheduled to begin in spring or summer 2027.

Clemson said the project was supposed to be done this year, but because of a small historical bridge with a stone base on state Route 46 that needs to be addressed first, the project was delayed a year.

She said the Ohio Department of Transportation is reviewing options for the small bridge such as dismantling it and putting in a steel box frame base bridge. Clemson said ODOT has not decided on an option.

Trustees said the sidewalk project will be done in four phases, with the first phase installing sidewalks on the south side of state Route 88 starting by Maplewood High School, then west to the center and then south to the park along the west side of Route 46 by Dollar General and the campgrounds. Painted crosswalks also will be part of the project.

Trustees said the other phases are sidewalks from the park along Route 46 to Griffth and Edgewater streets and the sidewalks from Edgewater north to Route 88 and back to Maplewood High School.

There will be crosswalks at Mecca Circle, which already has sidewalks.

SHERIFF’S CONTRACT

Trustees also discussed a contract with the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office, with Domes suggesting having a season contract for so many hours per week.

Domes said more sheriff’s deputies will be available in the summer months since they work as school resource officers during the school year. Gladd said Fridays and Saturdays would be the best days.

Because Mecca is situated in the center of Trumbull County, sheriff’s deputies are already often parked in the township. Domes said he expects there to be a sheriff’s outpost this year at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds in Bazetta, which will be close to Mecca.

Last year, Johnston Township trustees opened an outpost at their senior center, which is also close to Mecca.

Domes said years ago, a sheriff’s deputy would often accompany the fire department on each call.

“We can see if we can get a deputy assigned to Mecca,” he said.

In January, the sheriff’s department responded to 59 calls.

The contract will be addressed at the March 10 meeting, when a representative of the sheriff’s office is scheduled to attend.