Friday, February 28, 2014
YOUNGSTOWN
To fill the numerous potholes on county roads, the Mahoning County commissioners made an emergency $49,450 purchase of hot cold-mix asphalt.
The purchase was from Central Allied Enterprises Inc. of Canton, a sole-source provider of this product, bypassing the usual competitive bidding requirements.
“It’s a heated cold mix. It flows better. It doesn’t bind up. It comes off the shovel better, and it stays in the hole longer,” than the traditional cold patch used for temporary pothole filling, county Engineer Patrick Ginnetti said. “It’s still a temporary fix, but it lasts longer than the traditional cold mix, and it doesn’t lump up.”
In other pothole-related business, Ginnetti said he met with Teamster representatives Wednesday concerning the use of free labor from day-reporting county sheriff’s office inmates to help Teamsters patch potholes.
Ginnetti said the Teamsters working for the engineer’s office were to discuss the matter at a Thursday evening meeting in their union hall.
No inmates were helping to patch potholes Thursday because trucks were applying salt and grits to county roads, he said.
The commissioners also approved an agreement with Sunoco Pipeline LP, which plans to install a new petroleum-products pipeline in an existing right of way.
In the agreement, Sunoco agrees to promptly repair county or township roads it might damage in Springfield, Boardman, Canfield and Berlin townships during the installation.
The commissioners also approved a $3,155 agreement with Prout Boiler, Heating and Welding Inc. of Youngstown to repair a cracked sanitary-sewer pipe at Oakhill Renaissance Place. The cracking is not weather-related, said James Fortunato, county purchasing director.
The commissioners appointed Delphine Baldwin-Casey, Carrie Meranto and Dr. Joseph Mosca and re-appointed Brigid Kennedy to the county children services board.
The commissioners also appointed Peter J. Noll to a four-year term on the county board of developmental disabilities, filling the only vacancy on that seven-member board.