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Towing company left out in the dark

SALEM — A private meeting between Cathy Davidson of Davidson Sales & Service, Police Chief Mike Emigh and one Perry Township trustee was set up after Davidson questioned the police department’s call rotation policy for local towing companies.

Davidson appeared before trustees Monday, explaining that her family’s company is on a rotation with other tow companies in the area, but recently learned that the police department isn’t calling Davidson out from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. — she wants to know why.

Emigh told her she could come to his office the next day to talk about the situation, saying “this ain’t the time or place for this.”

“I’d like to have an answer in front of everybody,” she responded.

Emigh said they have no contracts with any tow companies, but put them on a call list, rotating the calls between Davidson, Sinsley Towing, Kaiser Towing and AAA when requested. He said there’s been some issues and it was his decision to not have Davidson called between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., claiming a longer response time at night, including a claim of a 40-minute wait one night.

Davidson refuted the claim, saying it’s never taken them 40 minutes, that it’s not true. She said their company is there within 10 minutes or less, they clean up and they do whatever has to be done.

She said the company has represented the township for 50 to 60 years, back to when her father started it, and they’ve helped the road department out, the fire department out and even the police department over the years and then “they just kick us out?”

“We want put back on 24 hours,” she said.

Emigh said the department still uses Davidson for calls during the day and for heavy equipment calls at all times of the day or night. When asked by Trustee Jim Armeni if she wanted a trustee to sit in on the meeting with Emigh, she said yes.

The Salem Police Department uses the same companies on a rotating basis with no restrictions on what hours they’re called, according to Police Chief J.T. Panezott.

In other business, the trustees agreed to the purchase of a new Dodge 3500 Ram truck for the fire department from Columbiana Chrysler Jeep Dodge for $42,753 to be used as the grass truck. No decision has been made on what to do with the old truck. The trustees also agreed to the purchase of a dump trailer for the road department for $7,123 from Appalachian Trailers in Salem. An emergency purchase of an exhaust for the fire department’s tanker truck for $700-plus had to be approved after the fact after the exhaust fell off the truck and had to be replaced immediately.

Emigh was given permission to start working on the paperwork to contract with Columbiana County for a township officer to be assigned to the Drug Task Force. The contract will have to be approved at a later date.

Trustees made no decision on who to name to the Board of Zoning Appeals or the Zoning Board after receiving letters from three interested candidates. They need one person for each board. Dan Bowers volunteered for either board, Joe Colian applied for the zoning board and Austin French applied for the appeals board. Trustees opted to look over their letters of interest and decide at the next meeting, which is scheduled for a different night due to a conflict. All three reside in the township.

Road supervisor Darreck Farrell reported that he marked the lot at the North Ellsworth Avenue property to show trustees where parking could be expanded. He estimated they could add another 10 to 15 spots along the driveway, going in 25 feet into the grass, which leaves them about 15 feet from the property line. He said they could use road grindings for part of the project, with a cost of $700 for limestone for 10 spots and $1,000 if they added 15 spots. No decision was made.

Zoning Inspector Allan Wolfgang reported two permits issued so far this month.

The trustees went into executive session near the end of the meeting for personnel, with Armeni further saying it was to consider discipline of a public employee. No action was to be taken.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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