Trustees Corner by Trustee John Zaccardelli

As township trustees, Dave DePasquale, Paul Schweikert and I have been asked where our stormwater fees go. Twenty years ago, the EPA mandated the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District to address combined sewer overflows entering Lake Erie. Currently, we have 10 years to go on Project Clean Lake. To date, 73 projects have been completed and two billion dollars have been spent.

Some highlights: The Westerly Storage Tunnel has been activated. The Shoreline Storage Tunnel has completed mining. The Southerly Tunnel has commenced construction and the Big Creek Tunnel has commenced design. The largest tunnel is the Southerly Storage Tunnel located in Cuyahoga Heights, Newburgh Heights and Cleveland. This tunnel will capture 760 million gallons of sewage waste. It will cost approximately $328 million to construct.

When all projects are completed, they should stop around 4.5 billion gallons of waste from entering Lake Erie. To date, the sewer district has stopped 2 billion gallons of combined sewer overflows. Your stormwater fees are being used for this clean up.

State law on fireworks  

According to the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Fire Code, Ohioans can discharge consumer fireworks on the following dates from 4-11 p.m. (unless otherwise noted):

  • July 3, 4 and 5 and the weekends immediately before and after
  • Labor Day weekend
  • Diwali
  • Chinese New Year
  • Cinco De Mayo
  • Memorial Day weekend
  • Juneteenth
  • New Years Eve from 4 p.m.-11:59 p.m.
  • New Years Day from 12 a.m.-1 a.m. and 4-11 p.m.

No person under the age of 18 is permitted to handle or discharge fireworks and cannot be within 150 feet of the discharge point. No person can use fireworks while in possession or control of, or under the influence of, any intoxicating liquor, beer or controlled substance.

Police news

In the middle of July on a Thursday evening just before midnight, Officers Glenn Lucore and Ryan Ennis responded to a suspicious vehicle blocking the main entrance to Sagamore Square Shopping Plaza. The driver was identified as an 80-year-old female who could not roll down her window. The lady was not confused but was under the influence of alcohol. She had been at her daughter’s house in Aurora and was headed home to Solon. The lady thought she was in Streetsboro. She was twice over the legal limit and was charged with OVI. Police Chief David Hayes stated a driver at any age can make bad decisions. Don’t drink and drive.

Towards the end of July, two miscreants on dirt bikes cut down two flock cameras at 4:30 a.m. These cameras do not record speed, but read license plates of vehicles entering Sagamore Hills. This lets your police department know if the vehicle owner has a warrant, is a suspect in crimes in other communities or if the car is stolen. These flock cameras give our police officers the ability to look for them. This is important if the drivers are looking for an opportunity to commit crime(s) in our community.

Go Browns! ∞