The Brookfield Exterior Property Maintenance Code Appeals Board held its first meeting in years on Feb. 25.
The board elected Chuck Fizet as chairman, Shannon Devitz as co-chairman, and Judy Puskar as secretary, and set meetings at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at the township administration building, 6844 Strimbu Drive. (Meetings are currently not being held due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.)
The board was created by the Exterior Property Maintenance Code to hear appeals of notices of violation filed by the township against property owners.
There are no current pending appeals, but Trustee Dan Suttles said he wanted to bring the back the board as part of the trustees’ overall desire to better enforce the code.
Resident John Chewning thanked the trustees for “taking the initiative” to bring the board back and step up enforcement issues, but he worried that the decisions of the board would not be supported by the courts.
Any decisions of the board can be appealed to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
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Brookfield Property Maintenance Code Appeals Board received a lot of paperwork at its March 10 meeting, the second meeting since the board was revived after years of dormancy.
The forms included possible applications for appeal and a statement of final decision proposed by Code Enforcement Officer Peter Ross; junk vehicle and code violation report forms left over from Ross’ predecessors; and Ross’ February report to the township trustees.
Board Chairman Chuck Fizet said Ross prefers to receive violation reports by phone at 330-448-1000, Ext. 118, but will accept handwritten and emailed complaints.
Fizet added that Ross is attempting to put together a list of contractors and organizations that would be willing to do small jobs for free to help property owners who cannot afford or are not able to make repairs or clean up their properties on their own.
“I know it’s a slow start, but it’s a start,” Fizet said of the meeting.
