Dear Resident,
Recently, the Administration and City Council embarked on a three-day journey that provided our City with a roadmap for our future. We heard from various department heads about additional needs for buildings, vehicles, land, water lines, sewer lines, roadways and flooding. These issues affect all of us. After countless hours, City Council and administration prioritized the needs and made some final decisions. Our hardest decisions revolved around how to pay for these needs.
Listed below are our priorities in the order of importance:
Storm Water Management and Sanitary Sewer Management (Flooding)
As most of you know, flooding has been an issue that has significantly affected our City in a negative manner. Most of us have been fortunate to escape water and sanitary damage but there are a significant number of residents who have been negatively impacted and some of those have been suffering for a long period of time. While this issue is one that requires a regional approach, North Ridgeville must do all that it can to alleviate the situation. We have two plans submitted to us by outside engineering firms, one that addresses sanitary and the other storm, with a combined cost of approximately $16 million. Both of these plans, once accomplished, will make significant impact on our flooding situation. Utility rates, effective with the August 2014 utility bill, have increased to fund the Sanitary Sewer Management Plan and a storm water management fee is currently under discussion.
Center Ridge and Lear Nagle Reconstruction Projects
The existing roadways are currently exceeding their capacity. These projects will increase safety by reducing the number of traffic accidents, improve roadway conditions, relieve congestion, align Ridgeview Blvd. and Root Road, add pedestrian/bicycle facilities, and encourage economic development. The State has identified the area on Lorain Road on either side of the Lear Nagle intersection as one of the top 100 accident areas in the State of Ohio.
The State is offering the City approximately $56 million dollars if we can fund $8 million. Most of us would jump at the chance at this kind of offer to receive seven dollars for every one dollar. This is an opportunity for us to recoup State and Federal money that we have been paying for years on a project that will make the commute through our City a safer one. Neither of these roadways currently have storm sewers nor water management systems which contribute to our flooding issues. As an added benefit, with the new reconstructed roadways, storm sewers and multiple detention basins will be constructed as part of these roadway projects to help alleviate our flooding issues.
Proposed Funding: Issue #20 will appear on the November ballot as a .84-mill levy to generate $8 million to fund these two road projects. The cost to each homeowner is approximately $29.40/year per $100,000 of valuation. The issue previously appeared on the May ballot and failed by a small margin. The administration and City Council decided to place the issue on the November ballot so that a greater number of residents will have the chance to determine the funding of these very important roadway projects.
North Ridgeville Fire Department
Our main fire station located on Route 83 is crumbling, contains asbestos and does not adequately address the needs of a modern fire station and department. This building was originally built to house a volunteer fire department and does not provide the necessary space for sterile storage of supplies or living quarters for those on duty today. A trailer behind the station is currently used for living quarters.
Engineering (Roads, Bridges, Water Lines, Water Tower)
While the City has been doing its best to upgrade the main roads, many secondary roads need attention. Council approved the purchase of equipment that will allow our crews to make permanent repairs to asphalt roads even during the winter when the asphalt plants are closed. The new machine can only repair smaller portions of road and in order to do more we need additional funding. Our City is also responsible for the repair of certain bridges. Bridges are subject to the same wear and tear as our roads endure during the winter months. If we do not start the process now to obtain the funds necessary to repair these bridges then we may be faced with the decision to close a road due to bridge failure. Water lines age and over time fail. Water main breaks occur and threaten the ability of the City to provide water to homes and fire safety. An additional water tower may be necessary to provide additional water pressure in the southern half of the City. The lack of pressure in this area affects the water service to thousands of homes. A study will be necessary to determine where and when a new tower will be necessary.
Proposed Funding: Issue #21 will also appear on the November ballot as an income tax levy increase to fund a new fire station and additional road, bridge, water lines, water tower and to offset the loss of State funds. The income tax levy, with a corresponding tax credit increase, will impact the fewest number of residents. Many senior citizens do not have taxable income and therefore will not be impacted. Those who work outside the City will see an increase in credit and therefore will not be impacted. Those who work and live in the City will experience an increase in income tax by .85%.
The above two ballot issues are necessary to move our City forward over the next five years. To learn more about the issues or planned projects, please join us at one of the following community forums:
Community Forums:
Thursday, September 25, 2014 at 6:00 PM
North Ridgeville Education Center, Community Room
5490 Mills Creek Lane
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 6:30 PM
Pioneer Ridge/Del Webb, Prairie Lodge
9464 Saw Mill Drive
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the Mayor’s Office at (440) 353-0811 or City Council President Kevin Corcoran at (440) 225-8965.
Sincerely,
Mayor G. David Gillock Council President Kevin Corcoran