First contracts approved for sewer projects

By Denise Dick | December 25, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Work is expected to begin this summer on the first leg of the city’s $147-million, long-term sewer-overflow control plan.

The board of control – Mayor John A. McNally, Law Director Martin Hume and Finance Director David Bozanich – approved two contracts Thursday that lay the groundwork for the plan.

One contract, for up to $1.16 million, is with MS Consultants Inc. for a professional-services agreement. The Youngstown company will provide engineering services for electrical upgrades at the treatment plant.

A separate contract for up to $2.8 million with ARCADIS of Akron is for secondary-treatment improvements at the plant.

Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works, said both the electrical upgrades and the secondary treatment improvements are expected to improve efficiency.

“We expect to see pretty big savings,” he said.

Separate contracts will involve actual construction that is expected to begin this summer, Shasho said.

Plant improvements must be complete by 2018. Treatment-plant improvements, estimated at $37 million, are part of an agreement finalized in December 2014 between the city and the U.S. and Ohio environmental protection agencies to reduce combined sewer overflows.

After the plant improvements, the next phase of the sewer-overflow control project includes installation of a $62 million wet-weather treatment facility adjacent to that plant, to more than double the city’s wastewater treatment capacity, and a $48 million sewer-interceptor installation to curtail 18 combined storm and sanitary sewer overflows into Mill Creek MetroParks.

The agreement allows the city until 2033 to complete the entire project.

The board also approved a lease between the city and Ruddy Insurance Group, providing about 1,300 square feet at 20 Federal Place. The space was formerly occupied by Jerry Lee’s.

Six employees are expected to work in the office initially, said Sean McKinney, buildings and grounds commissioner. He said the insurance company maintains offices in both Boardman and Niles and the plan calls for those two offices to consolidate into the Federal Place location.

Also approved Thursday was payment of $12,400 to Nannicola to buy 180 chairs and 20 8-foot tables for rental pavilions at Wick, Homestead, Crandall and Lincoln parks.

Robert Burke, city park and recreation director, said the chairs and tables at the pavilions are about 10 to 15 years old.