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Austintown trustees declare emergency after July 5 storm; approve debris-removal contracts
Summary
Following a July 5 storm, Austintown trustees declared an emergency to enable immediate cleanup and potential state or federal funding. The board authorized two emergency debris-removal contracts with spending caps and specific hourly rates.
Austintown Township Administrator Mark D'Apolito told trustees that storms on July 5, 2026 caused damage requiring immediate cleanup. Trustees declared an emergency to authorize emergency work within township departments and to pursue state or federal funding by Resolution #26-07-06-14.
The board approved two emergency service arrangements for debris removal. Trenton's Lawncare & Snowplowing was authorized at specified hourly rates (skid steer and driver $250.00/hour; dump truck with chipper, one laborer and driver $350.00/hour; an additional dump truck with driver $165.00/hour) with a not-to-exceed cap of $10,000. The board also approved Phil's Grasshoppers Lawn and Landscaping to deploy a grapple hook and 3–4 employees at $6,000.00 per day, not to exceed $12,000, for emergency debris removal (Resolution #26-07-06-15). Both motions passed with recorded yes votes from Trustees Deavers and Shepas.
Trustee Bruce Shepas asked for patience from the public during clean-up, and Trustee Monica Deavers thanked community volunteers who assisted after the storm. The board also approved payment to retired Vac Truck Operator Paul Sosnowski for 4.5 hours of assistance on July 5, 2026 at $29.63 per hour as an independent contractor (Resolution #26-07-06-18).
