GIRARD Council OKs plans to fix flood damage

Officials also approved a temporary waterline to the Parkwood area.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- City council has approved about $170,000 to repair damage caused by recent flooding.
Although lawmakers expressed no doubt Monday that the work is needed, they wanted some assurance they will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Mayor James J. Melfi said he has no letter from FEMA guaranteeing the city will be paid back.
Lawmakers inserted into the legislation that contractors won't be paid by the city until it receives reimbursement from FEMA.
The only dissenting vote was cast by Councilman Renny Paolone, D-1st, who said contractors will want their money after performing the work.
"I don't think we should put into an ordinance that we're not going to pay them," Paolone asserted.
Councilman Joseph Christopher, D-at large, suggested the amendment to approve the work but not pay until the city is paid. He was backed by Councilman John Moliterno, D-at-large, and Councilwoman Kathleen O'Connell Sauline, D-2nd, chairwoman of the finance committee.
The amendment was brought up after Sauline reported that the financially strapped city has currently overspent this year's general-fund budget by $250,000.
What will be done
The city will repair West Broadway Street from High Street to the dead end for about $83,200.
The street was washed out in heavy rains, as was Amherst Avenue. Amherst will be repaired for $36,000.
An additional $33,000 will be spent to replace interior walls, floors, a restroom and a laboratory at the sewage treatment plant.
Also, $19,300 will go toward the replacement of office equipment lost to the high water.
In another expense, lawmakers agreed to spend about $58,400 to install a 6-inch waterline on the Mosier Road bridge over Interstate 80 because of the construction of the state Route 711 connector.
The current line allows Youngstown to serve the Parkwood section. The line over the bridge will let the city serve Parkwood.
When the project is complete, by late fall 2004, Youngstown will again provide Parkwood with water.
Christopher urged the city administration to seek reimbursement from the Ohio Department of Transportation because the city wouldn't be constructing the line if not for the ODOT project.
Also, council passed a resolution asking the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for an extension of a Sept. 30 deadline for the Lower Girard Lake dam.
Councilman Charles Doran, D-4th, requested the extension.
ODNR has given the city the deadline to come up with specific plans to make the aged structure safe.
Doran told lawmakers he wants the city to meet with ODNR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state and federal representatives to discuss the dam. Doran has received a letter from the Corps that says it's no longer working on a temporary solution to save the dam.
The temporary effort to reduce the height of the structure by 12 1/2 feet would have cost $1.8 million, but a permanent breaching will cost $3.2 million.
yovich@vindy.com