Not a black and white issue

Trustees, county engineer, try to settle Black Road woes

By DAVID M. GRIMES (dgrimes@reviewonline.com)
WEST POINT — Some residents along Black Road in Madison Township have been seeing red lately.

A road maintenance agreement on the thoroughfare that runs on the border of Madison and Wayne Township, has left several residents with the notion of being neglected. After several Madison Township meetings, trustees Mint Cook, Roger Walker and George Crews have scheduled a Thursday meeting with Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson and Wayne Township trustees.

Crews said the meeting will allow them to hear recommendations to best solve the problem of the deteriorating portions of Black Road on both sides of the township line.

Walker said the county may possibly get involved in helping maintain part of Black Road. He also added that Black Road, on the Madison Township section, will be part of the chip and seal program later this summer.

Last year in March, a motion was passed to adopt a resolution, No. 04-2007, that stated a shared maintenance agreement between the two neighboring counties would be worked out on the road that is split by the township line.

In the resolution, it states, “Wayne Township will maintain the southern one mile of Black Road from state Route 518 to the turn-around and Madison Township will maintain the northern one mile of Black Road from the turn-around to the Center Township line.”

Also according to the agreement, no money will be exchanged between the two townships for road maintenance, and the trustees of each township determine the appropriate maintenance for their section of Black Road.

The resolution was adopted with a unanimous decision on March 13, 2007. The same agreement was also passed earlier in January by the Board of Trustees for Wayne Township. That resolution was also adopted by a unanimous vote.

Some Madison residents on the Wayne Township section, feel unsure if they are, indeed, being cared for. During past meetings, residents have voiced their displeasure of the awful road conditions, with one resident comparing Black Road to one likely found in a third-world country.

Walker said “it’s been forever” since Black Road has been re-blacktopped. He believes the road has rarely been involved in any resurfacing projects and may have been only resurfaced once.

Cook even agreed to the complaints at one meeting, and echoed that the road is in bad shape.

Other residents have said they do not like the idea of paying taxes to Madison Township while not being able to see any results from it because they live on the Wayne section of Black Road.

Whatever the troubles, the Madison trustees hope this upcoming meeting with their neighboring counterparts and Dawson will help the residents who have been fighting for some fair treatment.

“I hope everything works out,” Walker said.