Canfield to appropriate extra money for $1.8 million road upgrade project

January 17, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

By GRAIG GRAZIOSI

CANFIELD

City council will vote Wednesday on a resolution providing more money for use in a $1.8 million road upgrade project.

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s original estimate for the project was $1.6 million, but was increased, requiring the city to pursue additional funding.

The North Broad Street safety upgrade project began as a widening project that included state Routes 46 and 62 from Skyline Drive to Dartmouth Drive. The continuation of the project will include sidewalks, street lighting and curbs along North Broad Street, as well as the creation of a center turning lane.

The city originally intended to carry out the project last year, with the project cost estimated at $900,000. Sixty-nine percent of that original estimate was funded by a grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission. But the project was rejected by the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and was shelved until 2017.

After revisiting the original estimate, rising labor and material prices forced the project’s cost to $1.6 million and, after a second estimate, to $1.8 million

Joe Warino, city manager, said the window for the city to seek additional funding has passed. As a result, city council will vote on a resolution that adjusts the budget to allow for an additional $254,782 expenditure for use in the project.

Warino argued that freeing up the money for use in the project is in the city’s best interests. If the city were to choose not to fund the project, the state funds offered would be returned and used to fund other ODOT endeavors. He said that the opportunity to take advantage of the state funds potentially could take years to come around again.

As a possible solution, Warino suggested that, if necessary, city council could consider forgoing the annual street resurfacing – which has a similar cost to that of the additional ODOT project costs – and put the funds toward the ODOT project.

Canfield Mayor Bernie Kosar Sr. was supportive of Warino’s suggestion, stating during the Jan. 4 meeting that forgoing resurfacing for a year would be worth pursuing the ODOT project.

Councilman Charles Tieche was critical of the idea, however, arguing that resurfacing is badly needed for certain streets in the city.

Resurfacing is done annually in the city rotating over the course of 10 years between different sections of the town.

Council will vote on the appropriation resolution at its next meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.