Past violations are still a point of contention with the city’s law director saying someone should still be responsible.
New Philadelphia officials are thrilled to see the fuel depot reopen on E. High Avenue as bp convenience, but the city’s law director still believes someone should pay for unsafe code violations at the site, says Marvin Fete.
“The whole purpose of the ordinance is to stimulate. Either get the tanks out or open it and this went on for two years.”
Marvin fete says there is a September 23rd hearing in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court regarding the city’s 105-thousand-dollar lawsuit against the gas station’s owner.
“In fact, that was something that Judge Ernest was impressed with how lenient the city had been.”
The city fined the owner 500-dollars-a-day for at least seven months starting in June 2023 before filing a lawsuit in February.
The station owner bought it in 2022 blames miscommunication and a language barrier and asks Judge Michael Ernest to deny the city’s claims. Fete says city officials are debating how to proceed, considering the station is up and running cleanly.
Fete says the fuel depot hadn’t been operating for at least seven years. The new owner bought it in 2022.
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