Plans to repair sidewalks on Elwood Avenue are being kicked to the curb, at least for now.
Monday night’s Marysville City Council meeting saw a resolution allowing the city to apply for federal grant funding. Officials first told the city’s public service committee about the grant last week. They said the city would apply for $150,000 in community development and block grants for use next year.
The city planned on using the funds for sidewalk repair over a portion of East Fifth Street. At that meeting, officials expressed hope that any leftover funds would be able to go toward sidewalk and curb work on Elwood Avenue.
In an interview this morning, City Manager Terry Emery said after examining Elwood Avenue more since last week, repairs would stretch the grant funds too far.
Project Manager Marc Dilsaver said the cost for Elwood would be “quite a bit more” than anticipated. Any funds used after the Fifth Street work “wouldn’t take us very far.”
Officials acknowledged there is interest in fixing up Elwood, and said the city could carry out curb work in the meantime. Dilsaver said there could be other funding sources for the full project, including Ohio Public Works Commission match grants.
“That’s a really valuable area and a great entry into the city,” he said.
Dilsaver said the priority now is to finish up sidewalk repairs through both West and East Fifth streets coming into the Uptown.
On East Fifth Street, work will be done from Vine to Chestnut streets. On West Fifth Street, the city is looking to fix Maple Street halfway toward Court Street.
Additional work will be done on Vine and Fourth streets.
“It would finish up the sidewalks through that corridor and really get it in good shape,” Dilsaver said.
Officials also brought to council a resolution supporting the county’s Traffic Research Center (TRC) as a “federal proving ground.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website, the proving grounds are “pilot sites” to foster the development of autonomous vehicles.
“It enables you to pursue grant funds throughout the year,” Emery said.
The federal government recently designated 10 facilities nationwide as proving grounds, but TRC wasn’t one of them. The resolution calls for a federal designation of TRC as a proving ground.
Economic Development Director Eric Phillips said there’s a campaign to get other governmental entities on board.
Council also received a report about utility bills being sent to residents later than normal, and steps being taken to remedy the problem.
According to Finance Director Justin Nahvi, the city always tries to give residents two weeks notice for the amount due. In the last few months, many residents have received their bills later, with some only coming eight days ahead of time.
The company that Marysville uses prints the city’s 9,000 monthly utility bills out of state. That distance, Nahvi said, is part of the reason for the delay.
“We’re working now to transition away from that company,” Nahvi said.
The city is looking at using Huntington National Bank, which has a bill-printing center in Columbus.
“The hope is by transmitting locally, they can actually print the bills and same day send them to a distribution center by (John Glenn International Airport), and get them to the mailboxes quicker,” he said.
Councilperson Nevin Taylor asked if there were any Marysville businesses that could serve the same purpose. Nahvi said no matter where the printing is done, the bills would still need to go the distribution center in Columbus.
Council members Deborah Groat, Tracy Richardson and Nevin Taylor all expressed a desire to waive any late fees that have come up as a result of the delays. Richardson said the city can’t penalize people who perhaps didn’t get a bill on time.
Nahvi said there’s nothing in the city’s charter that allows them to waive penalties.
Taylor agreed, and insisted city officials consider giving residents some sort of leeway.
“Right’s always right, and wrong’s always wrong,” he said. “That individual that’s on the other end of that utility bill did nothing wrong.”
Mayor J.R. Rausch noted residents still have time to pay, even if the bills are a bit late.
“It’s not like they’re getting it on the thirtieth and it’s due the thirty-first,” he said.
Officials said they’d convene later this week to discuss the possibility of forgiving those late fees.