Trash Pickup--delayed one day this week

Trash pickup is delayed by one day this week due to the holiday weekend last weekend. Sanitation workers will work on Saturday to get back on schedule.

Upcoming Meetings--Fire Audit Results, Tax Increase discussions

On Wednesday, July 8, there will be a Public Utilities, Safety & Environment Committee meeting.

On July 22, there will be a Strategic Planning Committee meeting for a presentation regarding the results of the Fire Management Audit.

Also on July 22, Council is likely to continue the discussion regarding a tax increase proposal for the November ballot, as time is running out. August 5 is 90 days prior to the election, which is the deadline by which Council must vote to place an income tax increase on the ballot. The Council is currently reviewing four "Scenarios" for consideration, which include the three previous "Scenarios" and a new scenario that involves an income tax increase to 2.25% total, which would yield $6M. The breakdowns of each scenario (dedicated use) is also open for discussion. These Scenarios are included in the Documents section of this web page.

If you have any thoughts regarding a proposed tax increase, please contact City Council members directly or at the upcoming meetings.

Happy Independence Day!

On Independence Day, we celebrate the signing of our nation’s Declaration of Independence, signaling the birth of our new nation. These are the words that have provided the lamplight for self-rule for 233 years and counting, helping to establish the United States of America as the greatest country on the planet. Take some time to reflect upon these powerful words, drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, particularly the well-known paragraph set forth below:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.

The fireworks display to celebrate this day began on the very first anniversary of Independence Day, July 4, 1777. It is said that the bright colors and the celebration gave hope to the revolutionaries fighting for the right to be a free country. The Star Spangled Banner, written by Francis Scott Key, talks about the “rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air” as he witnessed the bombs, rockets, and cannon fire exchanged between Fort McHenry and the British fleet during the War of 1812, which he witnessed from the deck of one of the British ships. As the battle raged through the night and in the darkness, the bombs would light up the sky and the troops could see that Fort McHenry had not fallen, as “our flag was still there.”

To this day, our Star Spangled Banner still waves over us, here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.














Enjoy your holiday celebration, remember that freedom isn’t free, and be safe!

Trash pickup delayed

Don't forget, due to the 4th of July holiday, anyone who has a normal trash pickup today or tomorrow (Friday or Saturday) will be delayed until Monday. If you see neighbors with trash at the curb, please remind them.

Longevity and Mileage discussions to continue tonight

Tonight at 6:00 p.m. is the Community Development meeting, which will be immediately followed by the Finance Committee where the longevity and mileage ordinance issues will be discussed further. If you are interested to hear the discussion or would like to participate, the meetings are held in Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall.

SR 57 Questions

I was recently asked by some residents to respond to several questions, then post them on the web site. These questions and the responses are posted below:

1. They've heard that there were 10 change orders on the Rt. 57 project - what were they and how much $$ do they represent;

Attached is a copy of Funding Details presented to Council Finance Committee. The details show all approved and possible future Change orders. Change order no. 2 & 3 are for the Joint Repairs. [see Documents section for the attachment].

2. Who verifies that the money that is appropriated is used where it is supposed to be used (i.e. if the mulch was an additional $43k, how much mulch was purchased, from whom, etc.);

Each item of work is specified in the contract as per ODOT standards and requirements. The mulch quantity is additional quantity actually used for the project. K.E. McCartney is our construction manager on this project. They take all the measurements for the project. The project is under FHWA oversight and is monitored by ODOT and FHWA. The inspector from ODOT regularly visits the site for monitoring. All measurements and payments have to go through ODOT and FHWA. The mulch is part of contract and is bought by Shelly’s sub-contractor for the project..

3. Who is doing the landscaping along Rt. 57 and how did they get selected;

Shelly Company hired Down to Earth Landscaping from Garfield Hts. It is up to Shelly Company to hire their sub-contractors..

4. What type of light bulbs will be used in the new lights along Rt. 57 (energy efficient, regular, etc.);

Conventional 240 Volt, Type II, 250 Watt, Metal Halide will be used for this project to meet ODOT 2005 specifications..

5. It appeared that 2 new tractors were being used along Rt. 57 for mowing - where did those come from and how much did they cost?

Shelly’s sub-contractor CJ Zak of Richfield was using new tractors for erosion control. They own the equipments. They are not required to provide or buy new equipments for the project..

Spring Valley Update

Spring Valley's liquor license transfer from the old entity to the new one has been approved. The "Caddie Shack" will soon be open to the public, in addition to the existing banquet facility that seats approximately 400 people, according to owner Bob Corna. Development of the golf course continues and plans to commence residential construction on the high ground are underway.

Longevity Pay and Mileage Allowances paid to City employees to be discussed at Finance Committee meeting, June 8

City Council's Finance Committee will meet on June 8, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers to discuss the longevity pay and mileage allowances currently being paid to city employees, including elected officials.

165.13 LONGEVITY COMPENSATION.
(a) Longevity compensation shall be limited to full-time employees and shall be computed from the first day of full-time employment with the City and length of service.

(b) After completing one full year of continuous employment with the City, the employee shall be given an additional one percent wage.

(c) The one percent increment will continue each year until the employee reaches the maximum amount of twenty percent. Thereafter, the benefit will remain at twenty percent as long as the employee remains on the City payroll in a full-time capacity.

(d) An employee is allowed one interruption of such continuous service, but only if that interruption is for less than 200 days. An interruption of 450 days or more means that longevity starts from the day the employee returns to the payroll. If less than 200 days, the days missed will be counted towards an employee's longevity, while the days missed between 200 and 449 days will not be counted towards longevity, but will be subtracted from such employee's total longevity time.

(Ord. 89-6. Passed 1-3-89.)



165.15 MILEAGE ALLOWANCE.
(a) When a City employee is required to drive his or her personal automobile for any Municipal business, he or she shall be given an allowance at the current business standard mileage rate allowed by the Internal Revenue Service for business purposes under Internal Revenue Code Section 162.
(Ord. 97-300. Passed 12-15-97.)
(b) If the travel pertains to a meeting, conference or convention out of town, the allowance shall be to and from the site of activity as computed by the American Automobile Association, Ohio Motorist's Association.
(c) Turnpike tolls and parking fees shall be considered an additional expense and shall be reimbursed upon presentation of a receipt.
(d) The City Auditor may adopt procedures pertaining to the payment of and reimbursement for expenses incurred by employees.
(e) A travel allowance for automobile expenses is established for the Mayor. Said travel allowance shall be calculated on the basis of 15,000 miles annually at a mileage allowance rate of thirty seven and one-half cents ($0.375) per mile or at the mileage allowance rate provided for City employees in division (a) of this section, whichever is greater. One twelfth of said allowance for each year, as determined hereunder, shall be paid to the Mayor on the date of the first regular City pay of each calendar month effective, January 20, 2004. Said allowance will be in lieu of the City providing the Mayor a vehicle.
(Ord. 90-298. Passed 12-3-90; Ord. 2004-2. Passed 1-20-04; Ord. 2004-8. Passed 2-2-04.)

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope that everyone takes time out to remember those who have laid down their lives for our country.

TAPS - Major General Daniel Butterfield
Day is done...Gone the sun
From the lake...From the hills...From the sky.
All is well...Safely rest
God is nigh.
Fading light....Dims the sight
And a star....Gems the sky....Gleaming bright
From afar....Drawing nigh
Falls the night.

Gulf Road set for slope stabilization

Last night at the Utilities Committee meeting, the committee voted unanimously for the slope stabilization of Gulf Road on the hill near the WWTP. Several residents have reported the guardrail that appears to be sinking on the hill. Gulf Road is scheduled to be paved this summer between Hilltop Park and Whitman and the slope stabilization is necessary to keep the road from breaking down prematurely.

Coffee with the Councilman: Support Mark F. Craig

We are having our next "Coffee with the Councilman" at Jim's Coffeehouse, 2 Lake Avenue in downtown Elyria from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, May 15. Join us for coffee, desserts and conversation.

Please consider purchasing tickets to support my campaign and pass the word along to your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and other supporters.

RSVP by phone to 366-0608 or by email to craig4council@oh.rr.com.

Hope we see you there!

2009 Street List for Repairs

The 2009 Street List for repairs has been approved by the Utilities and Finance Committees. It will go to full Council next Monday for final approval. A copy of the list can be found in the Documents section of this web page. The base total for street repairs is $688,067, with an additional $120,000 approved for engineering of West River Road N. so that it can be repaired as part of the 2010 projects. There is a list of alternates included, which will be selected for repairs in 2009 if there is sufficient funding left over from the base bid and engineering.

Street Projects for 2009

On Monday night, there will be a joint committee meeting with Public Utilities, Safety and Environment Committee and the Finance Committee to select the streets that will be repaired for 2009 and discuss major projects that might be eligible for state, federal and stimulus funds, such as the Ford Road Bridge project. This meeting will take place immediately following the Community Development Committee meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, second floor of City Hall.

There seems to be an impression at City Hall and amongst the Council that the Ford Road Bridge is not utilized very much and that it is a project that can wait for funding. If you were a regular user of Ford Road prior to the bridge closing, you may wish to consider contacting City Hall and Council members to let them know that you use that road and would like the bridge to be repaired.

We will also be discussing West River Road N., which will most likely be engineered this year for repair in 2010. There will also be some hot patching on the road to alleviate some of the more troublesome areas.

See you there!

Another Great Town Hall Meeting

Turnout was great for the semiannual town hall meeting at the American Legion Thursday night, with over 150 people in attendance. Special thanks to the American Legion for allowing us to host the meeting at their facility. The notes from the meeting are as follows:

April 2, 2009 Town Hall Meeting Summary

1. If Firefighters are not laid off because of the pending court case, what impact will that have on the Police Department?

Chief Medders: The money has to come from somewhere, and that will mean more cuts in the police department.

2. How can Mayor Grace hire more advisors (IT Department) and lay off safety services?

Mayor Grace: They haven’t been hired yet, but the ordinance was passed to create those positions so that they can be hired. There have been retirements so hiring new people to fill the positions will actually save the City money. There will be one extra person hired in addition to filling the vacancies.

3. If an income tax doesn’t pass will safety services be cut?

Mayor Grace: Yes. Revenue is dropping and we are still trending downwards. The City and the Auditor anticipated a 4.3% decrease from last year's revenues, but right now we are at a 9.4% decrease.

4. How many safety service directors are there and what do they do?

Mayor Grace: Like most cities, the Safety Service Director is the top management position after the Mayor. We traditionally have 3 Assistant Safety Service Directors but right now have 2 because 1 retired in December and hasn’t been replaced yet. There are also 4 secretaries shared by the Mayor and the SSD.

5. Why isn’t West River Road getting fixed?

Mayor Grace: Because of Wal Mart, there was a delay because they were going to help with paving or cause bigger problems on the road so they waited. Now the road is so damaged that we could fix it this summer, but that would mean no other road repairs because it would take the entire street budget or we could wait and do it next year with federal funds. This will be up to Council to decide in the coming weeks.

6. Question from the floor regarding Mark’s proposed cuts to the budget.

Mark Craig: There were two meetings last Monday – finance committee, where the cuts were discussed, and full council where there was no discussion. The cuts that were recommended included things such as travel expenses, mileage, some educational reimbursement and areas where it looked like cuts could be done based on last year’s actual figures and this year’s proposed budget. These cuts were discussed in a previous finance committee meeting, but figures were not presented until last Monday. The full document is available on the 4th Ward Information Website, http://www.markfcraig.com/.

7. What about a quick fix/patch for West River Road?

Mayor Grace: They have been out doing cold patch as much as possible. There have been crews out around the city looking at the bad sections and deciding what to do. Paving streets is a balancing act. We cannot afford to do all the streets at once, so we have to do some major streets and some minor streets each year.

8. If we keep laying people off, how will we grow our revenues because we are losing those tax dollars?

Mayor Grace: Right now we’re doing what we have to do to survive. EFD and EPD are the highest priority.

9. Two part question regarding contract concessions:
1. Will EFD reconsider the “no layoff” provision while keeping other concessions and what about eliminating overtime?
2. Can contracts be renegotiated so that part time people in Parks and Rec and EPD can come back despite full time workers still being laid off?

Chief Benton: Overtime has already been eliminated for training and minimum staffing has been abolished, which means the shift will operate with the number of fire fighters that show up each day. The only overtime we should see this year will be for large fires where additional personnel are called in to help. The fire department has been using overtime staffing rather than “seat staffing” to keep expenses down. Under overtime staffing, there are no additional salaries and benefits to be paid. Seat staffing would require hiring more fire fighters and ultimately cost the City more.

10. Comment about Windsor Drive – number one on the list?

Mark Craig: Explained process of submitting streets for ranking to Engineering, list going to Utilities Committee and ultimately full council for approval. Windsor is the number 1 ranked street submitted on Mark’s list, but whether or not it is repaired will be determined by the Utilities Committee to make the recommendation, which must be approved by a majority of Council.

11. Columbus Street – why brick with some paving? Petitions were turned in years ago that the neighbors all signed that wanted it completely paved.

Mukund Moghe: There were a number of neighbors who objected to removing the bricks and paving the street, which is why the project didn’t move forward. Mark will follow up with the residents to see what can be done and determine what happened last time.

12. Speeding on Burns Road – will the police look into this?

Chief Medders: Now that it is good weather, there will be more speed enforcement zones around the City and he will bump up the patrols on this street. They will first use the “box” that tells drivers what speed they are traveling which in turn lets the police know what time of day is the most heavily traveled, then they will run radar or laser at that time. He did advise that the resident warn her neighbors, as those are the people who are most likely to get caught.

13. A resident from Cherry Ridge condos reminded Chief Medders about the speed enforcement zone that was run on West River Road where residents sat in lawn chairs and watched. He said if the police will come back again and do it, they will bring out the law chairs.

14. Why did nothing for Elyria appear on the stimulus list from the US Conference of Mayors? Why were we not in on the ground floor of applying for aid?

Mayor Grace: The list from the Conference was just examples of the types of projects that need done, not a list of finalized projects. We are receiving approximately $3 million in stimulus money for different projects in the City, including resurfacing East River Road and Gateway Blvd.

15. Why, given this economy, hasn’t the Mayor given up his gas allowance/mileage reimbursement?

Mayor Grace: It is less expensive for the City to pay him a travel allowance each month (which was approved by Council when he was first elected) than to give him a City vehicle. This is standard for businesses and governments.

16. Regardless of what the Mayor’s predecessor did, this economy requires real change and real sacrifice.

Mayor Grace: No raises for Mayor and Auditor for the past 2 years. Mayor’s office, Auditor’s office and Law Director’s office giving back 10% of their pay in addition to their pay raises.

17. What about delinquent taxes? Do we pursue those? Is that contributing to the decline in revenue?

Ted Pileski: The Auditor’s office is very active in pursuing people who are delinquent on their taxes, with new lawsuits filed every month.

18. Hypothetical question: “If I am a new business that wants to move into Elyria, what is the process?”

Mayor Grace: First you would meet with Don Brackenhoff, the Economic Development Director, who would determine what your criteria are in terms of physical space, location, etc. Then you would be referred to local realtors who know all of the properties that are available to find one that best suits your needs. You would also be referred to Team Lorain County for additional information and assistance.

19. Are the bars downtown drawing manpower away from other parts of town in the evenings?

Chief Medders: Yes. EPD is working on scheduling and manpower to ensure that the rest of the City is adequately covered while patrolling the downtown area as well. Also applying for grants for financial assistance.

20. Is the crime rate in Elyria increasing, and, if so, what types of crimes are on the rise?

Chief Medders: Did not have hard statistics, but yes, crime is on the rise. It is noticeable mostly in thefts, assaults and domestic violence. We always have a problem with criminals coming in from Cleveland and Toledo as well.

21. Herds of deer along Whitman and Canterbury. What can be done? Can we hunt them with bows and arrows?

Chief Medders: Cannot shoot them, and no plans to allow a controlled hunt with bows and arrows to cull the herds. It is illegal to feed the deer, though, and residents can contact the police about people who are feeding deer.

22. What is being done about car break-ins and other violence at Midway Mall?

Chief Medders: Because the Mall has security and hires off-duty police officers, that area is actually better patrolled than other areas in the City. Best thing is for citizens to call in reports of anything that they see – don’t intervene, just call.

23. Do the Block Watches help?

Chief Medders: Of course. There are approximately 17 active block watches in the City now. Anyone interested in starting a block watch should contact Jerry Klein for assistance.

24. Why isn’t there a snow ban for parking?

Mayor Grace: This is a decision that can be made by Council. SSD can declare an emergency in case of heavy snow, but because we are an older City, many people rely on parking on the street.

25. In looking at Economic Development, it seems that the City has missed deadlines and blown contracts in the past. What is the net gain and loss of businesses in Elyria in the past year?

Mayor Grace: No real way to measure that other than looking at income tax revenue which is down 9.4%. When revenues are down, that means that there are less businesses and less people working.

26. What is the economic impact of TIFF’s and tax abatements for new developments?

Mayor Grace: Very little, because the City relies on income tax, not property tax for funding. We have cut down the length of time for typical abatement from 15 years to 7 years. The City only receives approximately 67-7% of property taxes collected, which mainly go to the Police and Fire Pension funds.

27. Would the EFD make money if they were not competing with Lifecare and instead handled transport themselves?

Chief Benton: No. Because of the size of our City, it is more cost effective for everyone to have private ambulance service. EFD/government should not be in the position of taking jobs away from the private sector. Also, EFD is not equipped to do the bulk of transports which are non-emergency, such as transferring elderly citizens from nursing home to hospital and back or taking patients to dialysis. These types of services are where Lifecare makes money.

28. Are the parks safe? Specifically in Elywood, sometimes the gates are open, sometimes they are closed. Is the loss of park rangers causing more problems?

Chief Medders: There were only 2 park rangers to begin with, so that hasn’t resulted in a lot of problems. The parks have been incorporated into the patrols so that officers are coming through on a regular basis. He will check to make sure the gates are open, because that makes it easier for the police to come in. There are no emergency phones in the parks – any phones that were there (outside of anything in a building) have been vandalized and ultimately removed.

29. Are the intersections on Rt. 57 (specifically at West River Road) done?

Mukund Moghe: No. They will be working on those this summer. That particular intersection is especially bad because they put asphalt down on the existing concrete and it just crumbled.

30. Is the Mayor aware of any specific factors that are keeping businesses from coming to Elyria?

Mayor Grace: Aesthetics are a big one. Companies want to locate in areas that are attractive and well maintained. This is why Design Review is important. Also more expensive/nicer housing would attract people to live here. The new high school will help encourage people to move here.

31. When is something going to be done about General Industries and how much will it cost the City?

Mayor Grace: The EPA has done testing and there is no concern about contamination at or from the site. There is a specific process for dealing with the property owner regarding cleanup. Ultimately, the city may end up owning the property if the owner fails to do anything about it, but that will take a while.

32. Why was there no controversy about the glaring sign at Puffer’s (and LifeShare) yet all the concern over the Krazy Mac’s sign?

Mayor Grace: There were no regulations in place to deal with the LED message signs, so it is a learning process. Krazy Mac’s (and other businesses) have been “encouraged” by a couple of council members to raise a fuss about design review. The owners of Krazy Mac’s didn’t apply for a permit either, so that was their fault. There is legislation currently being discussed regarding this topic.

33. Has there been any feedback from businesses about design review?

Answer: Several business people spoke. The gentleman who redid the Circle K plaza in the 7th Ward said that Design Review was easy and important. Bill Ivancic spoke about his 1 ½ year recent process to open his new business in North Olmsted and how Elyria’s rules are much more relaxed.

34. What percentage of businesses are approved/denied by Design Review?

Mayor Grace: There are usually changes/modifications required and then the approval rate is approximately 95% to 98%.

35. The yards on Hilliard Avenue are becoming more and more flooded as the years go by. Who can look into this and help with this situation?

Mukund Moghe: Will schedule someone to come out and talk with residents about the specific problem.

36. What can be done about Club 57?

Mayor Grace: The police and prosecutors are working on getting it closed based on violations of the law.

37. What is the status of the Ford Road Landfill?

Mayor Grace: The US EPA issued a consent decree in December which involves the companies that contributed to the pollution in that area. It is not in the hands of the City.

38. What will happen to the school buildings that are being closed?

Mayor Grace: That will be up to the school district to decide. They can sell them, retain them for other use or simply maintain the properties while keeping them empty.

39. What is the plan to deal with Ford Road Bridge?

Mayor Grace: It will cost approximately $1 million to replace the bridge deck. We did apply for stimulus funding for that project but it was denied.

40. Does the jail make money?

Chief Medders: No. We do, however, sell space to the federal authorities to house prisoners, so that cost is recouped.


Finally, Janet Stoffer, Executive Director of Elyria Public Library, spoke about the upcoming library tax levy.

The levy is 1.9 mill. This is both a renewal and increase. There is a current 1 mill assessment that expires at the end of the year. The library is asking to increase this to 1.9 mill to maintain services. The cost is approximately $2.62 per month for an owner of a $100,000 home.
The economy is having a direct impact on library usage – it has increased dramatically, especially for people needing computers and Internet access to search for jobs and apply for benefits on-line.

The new branch at LCCC is a full service public library. The building was paid for and is owned by the college. Elyria Public Library does pay an administrative fee for the space.
Both the Washington Avenue Branch and the West River Road Branch receive about the same number of visitors (approximately 34,000) every month. Neither branch could handle the total number of people if one of the branches was closed.

There is also a tax levy on for the LaGrange and Keystone Branches of the library. Those branches are not and will not be funded by Elyria tax dollars. All the revenue generated in Elyria stays in Elyria.

2009 Budget passes 7-4

Last night, at the Special Council meeting, the budget passed 7-4 as proposed by the administration (Craig, Gibbs, Krischer and Tanner voted against it). Immediately prior to the Council meeting, we spent a great deal of time in the Finance Committee meeting reviewing my proposed $504,668 in cuts to various areas of the General Fund. My suggestion was to use this money to supplement the Police Department's Personal Services budget to allow the police to keep more manpower.

These cuts, minus $100K to be restored to Landscape Maintenance, were also proposed by motion at the full Council meeting and were summarily rejected by a majority of Council (7-4). A spreadsheet is in the Documents section that shows these proposed cuts to the General Fund. Many of the line items were for payment of mileage and travel allowances, including the Mayor's personal travel allowance. Unfortunately, the majority of Council was not even willing to eliminate payment of mileage and travel reimbursements to provide more money to the police department.

$404,668 injected into the Police Department's budget would mean that almost half of the personnel let go could be retained (see EPD 2009 Cuts in the Documents section). If there were pay concessions, possibly more could be saved. In the alternative, it would allow more patrolmen to be hired to perform these functions.

We will continue to push for changes to the budget so that we can stay focused on our critical priorities, such as the safety of this city. We certainly should not pay mileage or travel reimbursements if that means we have less money for services provided by our police department.

Special Council Meetings Scheduled for the Budget

The upcoming events list on this page has been updated to reflect the special council meetings that have been scheduled for the three readings of the ordinance to pass this year's budget and the last two readings regarding the EFD Agreement. An updated copy of the 2009 Budget as of today is posted in the Documents section or follow this link: 2009 Proposed Budget March 20

Changes that were made on March 13 include:

General Fund
Finance Admin – Hospitalization decreased by $10,000 lowering the total budget for Finance Admin by $10,000.

Street Construction M&R Fund
Traffic Lights – Salary reduced by $49,100 lowering the total budget for Street Construction M&R by $49,100.

Special Parks & Rec Fund
Special Parks & Rec – several line items in Operating and Maintenance reduced by a total of $60,000.
-Capital Outlay reduced by $35,000 (vehicles).

Total Special Parks & Rec Fund reduced by $95,000.

Workers Compensation
Workers Compensation – operating and maintenance increased by $149,737. We’ve received our 2009 bill from Ohio Bureau of WC and it is $150,000 higher than estimated.

Today's changes include:

General Fund:

Total increase of $18,747 as follows:

Health Dept.
Salary +87,000 due to a change in estimated revenue from fee increases.

Mayor’s Office
Reduced Personal Services and Fringe Benefits a total of ($68,253) for transfer of wages to Water, Sanitation, and WWPC funds.


Water, Sanitation and WWPC :

The total increase of $68,253 in these three funds all relate to the transfer of wages and benefits from the Mayor’s Office to these three funds as follows:

Water
Increase in Personal Services and Fringe Benefits totaling $22,751.

Sanitation
Increase in Personal Services and Fringe Benefits totaling $22,751.

WWPC
Increase in Personal Services and Fringe Benefits totaling $22,751.

First Street Repair Meeting

Last night, the Public Utilities, Safety and Environment Committee met to discuss street repairs for 2009. Engineering provided a list of top-priority streets for repair with estimates (a copy can be found here: 2009 Preliminary Estimates and options for Resurfacing). Discussion included major projects and funding sources, including NOACA (federal money), Issue 2 (state money) and federal stimulus money. West River Rd. N. was a topic of discussion, along with Ford Road Bridge.

The Auditor anticipates that $808,323 will be available for 2009 Street Resurfacing. Including the below 4th Ward streets, the estimated cost to repair the streets ranked as "1" (must repair) for all wards in the city total $557,166.

Ward 4 streets that have already been estimated and were provided for discussion purposes include:
Bailey Court, $8,992
Elywood Drive, $41,969
Eschtruth Street, $73,718
Penrose Court, $36,839

We also asked the Engineer to obtain estimates for Caroline Street and for Windsor, from Stafford to the cul-de-sac.

West River Rd. N was discussed at great length. Engineering believes that the road should also be widened to help stabilize it and allow for better drainage. Preliminary estimates for all options with W. River Rd. N include:

Repair from lift station north to city limit: $172,905
Widening 2' on each side for above section: $94,710
Repair from lift station south to Griswold: $100,474
Widening 2' on each side for above section: $35,175
Total Possible for W. River Rd. N.: $403,264

As previously mentioned, the portion from Griswold to the lift station (near Schadden Rd.) will likely be repaired using money from the enterprise fund as part of the lift station work. If we want to repair West River Rd. N. this year, 100% of the repair money (other than that section) will come from our own street resurfacing funds. We can obtain state or federal money to pay for these repairs, but the earliest the repairs would happen is 2010. As such, we need to make a decision whether to repair W. River Rd. N this year or try to wait one more year.

Due to federal stimulus money, funding of SR 57 was supplemented by $1.7 million. This covers the $1 million in cost overruns, plus the additional $700K for the City's contribution to the project. Therefore, we were already prepared to borrow $700K for street repairs, to be applied to SR 57 and we can still borrow this money but use it elsewhere in the City. We still need to spend approximately $110,000 on the SR 57 project this year, which would either come from our existing Street Resurfacing funds, or from the $700,000 we could borrow.

Other possible uses for the $700,000 include additional side street repairs, engineering for the repair of Ford Road Bridge ($116,400), design costs for W. River Rd. N if we submit it for NOACA funding ($100,000), or $700,000 to be applied to the engineering for the widening of East Broad Street. The Mayor informed the Committee that an additional $100,000 from the Street Resurfacing funds would also need to be allocated if we decide to proceed with the East Broad Street project.

There has not been a follow-up meeting scheduled yet. Please contact me with any thoughts or suggestions regarding the above.