NILES Group lists 25 projects aimed at flood repairs

The sewer-rate increases may be considered at the next council meeting.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Sewer customers may see a modest increase in their bills to help pay for projects throughout the city to correct problems and repair damage from this summer's floods.
On Wednesday, Mayor Ralph A. Infante presented city council with a list of 25 projects that members of a floodwaters task force deemed the most crucial.
"These are from all areas of the city," Infante said, adding that the task force did not prioritize the items on the list. That will be done, he said, after the areas are examined and some preliminary engineering work is done.
He noted he plans to have a prioritized list ready by the end of the year.
The projects include repairing -- and in some cases replacing -- culverts and portions of the sanitary and storm sewer systems in Niles.
Infante created the task force, composed of several city officials, last month, and the group spent more than two weeks meeting with residents from various neighborhoods hit hard by the July 21 and 27 floods.
Cost, time estimates
Preliminary estimates are that the entire list of projects could cost between $4 million and $5 million, and could take 15-20 years if they were completed in-house, Infante said.
By using outside companies to perform the work, the projects could be completed in as little as five years.
Officials will pursue a number of financing options, he said, including asking sewer customers to pay for a portion. Council is expected to introduce legislation at the Sept. 17 meeting that would increase monthly sewer rates for residential customers by $2, for commercial customers by $6 and for industrial customers by $20.
The increases would be flat rates, Infante said, and not based on usage. The move is expected to generate more than $223,000 per year, which would be used toward the projects suggested by the task force.
Other funding could be found through state grants and no-interest loans, Community Development Block Grant funding, municipal bonds and general fund money designated for capital improvement projects.
slshaulis@vindy.com