PERRY TOWNSHIP — The board of trustees provided an update on the status of the Painter Road project in its recent meeting.

“I just want to point out the great work done by the road crew on the Painter hill is one of the great services that the township provides for the residents. They can do any task at any time anywhere, and I feel the same goes for our police and fire departments who can handle any situation that presents itself to them. We are proud of our departments, and I feel that should be acknowledged,” said Trustee Tony Ieropoli.

Ieropoli said that the township’s road crew had widened the roadway by two feet along its 1,600-foot length by digging down 12 inches to the existing stone and shale base layer and adding 304 limestone, which Ieropoli has previously said packs like cement when compressed. The road crew has also completed several drainage improvements intended to combat deterioration caused by a combination of stormwater runoff and annual winter freeze and thaw, including replacing two existing 18-inch crossovers and installing a third, and installing three catch basins on the road’s north side. Ieropoli also said that the road crew had graded and re-ditched the south side of the road and hauled 107 loads of dirt from Painter Road to the road building over the course of the renovations.

“I’m very pleased with everything they’ve done,” said Ieropoli.

Ieropoli also commended the work done by Phil and Ronald Hippley of Hippley Excavating in their collaboration with the road crew and in clearing trees and re-grading the hill on the roadway’s north side, reducing and equalizing the grade which will make future mowing and maintenance both easier and safer.

“I’d like to give a shoutout to the very professional work that Hippley Excavating did on Painter hill. We were all pleased with the work they did, and I think the residents will be as well,” said Ieropoli.

Board of Trustees Chair Steve Bailey also commended the work done by both Hippley and the road crew, noting that the work had gone very well.

“[Hippley] did an excellent job, the road department did an excellent job, everything went about as smooth as it could to get that much work done,” said Bailey.

Ieropoli also said that he’d spoken with the Columbiana County Engineer’s Office, and they intended to chip and seal the 2-foot expansion to the road prior to returning and chip and sealing the entire width of the roadway as normal.

“That way we’ve got an extra coat and a base on the part that we extended which will give us more support,” said Ieropoli.

Other project matters included the unanimous approval of a $1,500 quote from McFeely Lawn Care to hydro-seed the north side of Painter Road. Bailey explained that while the south side of the roadway had always had seeding completed, the subsequent work done on the roadway’s north side necessitated the additional seeding, and Ieropoli noted that due to the area’s soil content, hydro-seeding was the most effective way to do so.

“He already did the south side of Painter Road, but as we went down through there, we did a lot more work leveling out the north side, making it so it’s not big dips and hills, so it will be nice to get it seeded on both sides,” said Bailey.

“With the different kinds of dirt there and rocks, hydro-seeding works better and will stick better,” said Ieropoli.

The board of trustees will meet next at 4 p.m. June 24.

mahart@mojonews.com