Council considers options for sidewalk project

By GRACE WYLER

gwyler@vindy.com

Poland Village Council has still not received permission to construct a sidewalk on privately-owned property along U.S. Route 224, and that could jeopardize access to a state grant to fund the project.

Gary Diario, an engineer with MS Consultants, told the council at Tuesday’s meeting that the Ohio Department of Transportation would give Poland a month to begin work on the sidewalk project before revoking $40,800 in grant funds.

The council cannot use eminent domain to build on the property because it would require that the village pay market value for the land, said council member Albert Lind.

The village has asked the owner to donate the land in exchange for a tax credit.

Council member David Raspanti suggested that, in the future, the council should make sure that it has secured the necessary property before spending money to design a project and apply for grant funding. “This could be a very expensive lesson,” Raspanti said.

The village paid MS Consultants $10,000 to design the project.

Engineering costs for the sidewalk project were high because the Ohio Department of Transportation required an environmental report, as well as extensive design drawings and meetings, Diario said.

This is the third grant project the village has paid to have designed before learning they would not be able to go through with construction, said Linda Srnec, the council’s clerk and treasurer.

In 2009, the village paid MS Consultants $8,000 to make designs for two forest grants that were not approved.

If the council does not get permission to build on the property, the village could construct the sidewalk without the grant money. The sidewalk would narrow in front of the property in question.

“If we don’t use [ODOT] funds, you can build it any way you want,” Diario said.

In the treasurer’s report, Srnec said that the general fund receipts for February came in at $9,779. Total expenditures for that month were $59,701.50, she said.

“As you can see, we are spending a lot more than we are getting in,” Srnec said. “Hopefully that will change in March when we start getting tax advances.”