Avon Lake Tags $750,000 for Street Repairs

Avon Lake is eyeing 24 streets for repair this spring, adding on four additional streets in what Councilman Martin O’Donnell is calling an “aggressive” street program.

Bids are going out this week to determine how many streets can be repaired for $750,000. Streets were rated in 2009 from worst to best, with 13 streets rating a “4” on a scale of 1 to 5. Receiving ratings of “4,” in order of need are Fredricksburg Drive, Birchwood Lane, Chestnut Court, Dakota Run entrance, Evergreen Court, Greenbriar Drive, Orchard Park Drive, Cheyenne Falls, Redwood Boulevard (west of Jaycox), Stoney Brook Drive, Parkview Lane, Division Street (west of Lear) and Glenview. Estimated costs for those streets, which will be paid for from the city’s carryover fund, are $720,000.

Added on this year are Rosewood, Bonnieview, Parkland and Colony drives for an additional $30,000.

“We decided this year to be more aggressive,” Avon Lake Councilman Martin O’Donnell said, noting that repairs for the past several years were limited as the recession wore on.

O’Donnell said that after the past few years of being conservative, some streets are now in dire need of repair.

Numerous concrete streets are a patchwork of repairs while some asphalt streets have metal plates sticking out.

Councilwoman Jennifer Fenderbosch said the street program was amended from January after the snow melted and some streets were in such bad condition they would rate a “5.”

Just what streets will be repaired depends on how the bids come back. If bids come in lower than $750,000, streets ranking a “3” (Timberlane, Briarwood, Tanglewood, Captains Galley, Brittania, Regency and Nottingham) could have repairs.

O'Donnell said there are actually 45 streets that were rated "3" in the city in 2009 and a new list will be populated in the fall.

Councilman Larry Meiners noted that the city’s carrover fund had in excess of $6 million and he had wanted to $1 million spent on repairs but accepted the compromised $750,000.

Mayor K.C. Zuber said he was concerned about using money from the carryover fund for the project.

That concept was countered by Avon Lake Mayor K.C. Zuber who noted that there are numerous major projects coming up including a 2014 sewer project that will cost $2.7 million. A second major sewer project will add $2.5 million.

“That’s $5.2 million just for sewer work,” Zuber said.

After rattling off several large ticket items the city has passed, Zuber expressed concern over the city’s spending. He said while there has been an increase in city revenue, the city needed to stick with a more conservative spending pattern.

 “My concern is that when we have to spend $5.2 million over the next three years, where is that money going to come from?”

Council President Greg Zilka sad he understood Zuber’s concern but noted that putting the streets off was just making the situation worse.

“Our concern is (the streets) will deteriorate further,” Zilka said. “It will cost a greater expense next year (if not addressed).”

He added that the $750,000 allocated could balloon to more than $1 million to repair down the road if the road repairs were not addressed.