ODOT's decision upsets officials

The money could be earning interest in the city's hands.
& lt;a href=mailto:yovich@vindy.com & gt;By TIM YOVICH & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- City officials think they're getting shortchanged because of the Ohio Department of Transportation.
As a result of ODOT's decision not to resurface North Main and East Liberty streets until next year, the city wants the state agency to return $146,674.
"We are extremely dissatisfied with ODOT's decision not to pave these streets this year," Mayor George Praznik and Auditor Michael Villano wrote in a letter to Mahamed S. Darwish, deputy director of ODOT District 4 in Ravenna.
Both streets are in serious need of resurfacing, officials say.
"We're getting the short end of the stick," Villano said Wednesday.
Villano said he doesn't expect ODOT to return the city's local match for the paving project, nor does he expect ODOT to live up to its agreement to pave this year.
An ODOT spokesman couldn't be reached.
Villano explained that ODOT agreed to resurface the two state roads through town this year if the city installed handicap-accessible sidewalk ramps.
Financial burden
The city spent $34,000 on the ramps -- $29,000 in community development block grant funds and $5,000 of its own money.
The resurfacing of West Liberty Street was delayed until 2004 after new sidewalks were built on the south side of the street.
The city's local share was paid in full, Praznik and Villano said in their letter.
"Not only are the roads in terrible disrepair, but also the ongoing maintenance is financially burdensome for the city," they wrote.
Had the city known the project would be delayed by six to eight months, it wouldn't have paid the local share until construction neared, they said.
Villano said that if the city got the money back, it would earn interest through its investment.
The officials also expressed concern that with the resurfacing delay, the project could cost the city more because the price of asphalt may increase.
& lt;a href=mailto:yovich@vindy.com & gt;yovich@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;