Official explains road programs to city council

By Ed Runyan | June 29, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

WARREN

Since 2000, the city has carried out $30 million in road-paving projects, with $5 million of that coming from local funds and the rest coming from federal and state grants.

Since 2007, however, the percentage of local money used to pave city streets has dropped to zero.

“Some of our roads are horrendous, and that’s an understatement,” Paul Makosky, city engineer, told members of Warren City Council’s Finance Committee on Tuesday.

Makosky described the current state of Warren’s road maintenance and resurfacing program to help council members understand where road paving money has been spent in the past.

Road paving would make up about 10 percent of a $24.3 million bond sale under consideration by council.

The city administration is proposing that $2.1 million of it be used for residential street paving.

Makosky said what the city really needs is an annual crack-sealing program to keep the roads from wearing out prematurely.

But Mayor Michael O’Brien said the point of using a one-time infusion of $2.1 million for roads is to “catch up” with road work that hasn’t been done since 2007 because of the city’s financial hardships since then.

The mayor said the current low-interest rate and the city’s improved bond rating are good reasons to borrow money at this time.

Councilman Dan Sferra said he hasn’t decided whether to vote for or against the bond issue, but he knows he needs more time before deciding.

“I’ve never seen a bond issue this big,” Sferra said. “I don’t see us making this decision in a big hurry.”

Councilman Al Novak agreed.

“It’s very important,” Novak said of the decision on whether to move forward. “It will affect the people sitting in these [council] seats for the next 30 years.”

Council will meet at 4 p.m. July 6 to further discuss the matter.