Monday night, the Marysville Finance Committee discussed the recent flooding of Columbus Avenue – and whether it should be a priority.
City Finance Director Justin Nahvi presented $75,000 in appropriations from the storm water fund that would go toward study and design work of storm water improvements on Columbus Avenue.
The project has been on the city’s radar for some time. Katie Montgomery, owner of Montgomery Family Dental on Columbus Avenue, pushed it up on the city’s list of priorities by speaking to council last week about flood damage to her business.
“This is to get the Columbus Avenue project started quickly,” said City Public Service Director Mike Andrako.
The committee supported the appropriations, but not before committee member Mark Reams brought up concerns about using money from the city’s storm water fund. He said when the fund was created, the city had done studies of the Town Run watershed and important storm water areas in the city. Reams said the money should be used specifically for the projects proposed in those studies.
“Funding-wise, this particular project isn’t even on the list,” Reams said. “There are other priorities that are in the storm water studies that still haven’t been completed.”
Andrako said those studies focused specifically on local watersheds.
“It’s not that (Columbus Avenue) wasn’t on our radar, it just wasn’t in that study,” Andrako said. “It’s been on our list.”
Reams added if the city wants to tackle these storm water improvements, it should keep in mind that adequate funding isn’t there.
“We’ve got a lot of projects, and the funding isn’t there to do everything,” Reams said.
City Engineer Jeremy Hoyt noted the city is going over important projects for the storm sewer system. He added the city will look at how much those projects will cost, and how much money the city needs to bring in to cover those costs.
Hoyt said the city is currently looking at a few storm water projects, none of which were included in the studies mentioned by Reams.
“They seemed to have risen to the top based on what we’re hearing from the residents and businesses,” Hoyt said.
Andrako said the recent flooding pushed the Columbus Avenue project to the top of the priority list. He said all the water on the west side of Columbus Avenue goes to a pipe behind Montgomery’s business.
Committee chair Henk Berbee said he visited Montgomery Dental to see the landscape for himself.
“It does not really surprise me,” he said. “That is definitely the lowest part of Columbus Avenue.”
Andrako echoed statements he made at last week’s council meetings, saying the city already had the project planned for next year.
“My thought is that we just continue with that plan, and we continue to plan to do one or two projects per year and knock out our priorities,” Andrako said. “And we take a look at the revenue and see what that revenue can support.”
The committee also learned that proposed improvements to Plum Street are being delayed.
Hoyt told the committee that when the city put the project out to bid earlier this month, no contractors expressed any interest. Officials announced the project earlier this year, and it’s slated to include the addition of curbs, sidewalk, streetlights, trees and the replacement of the culvert on the street. Officials were hoping to complete it this fall.
“I don’t know if it’s poor timing or exactly why we didn’t receive bids,” Hoyt said.
Hoyt said the city has not talked to Memorial Health, though he told the committee the city would likely try to get the project done in the spring next year.
“That way it’s nice and ready, and there’s not construction going on while they’re opening up their new facility,” Hoyt said.
Hoyt said trying to rebid it this year would likely yield the same result. He added even if a contractor took on the project, it would likely have to start this fall, break for the winter, and pick it back up next year.
“I don’t think that’s the viable option,” Hoyt said.