The Lorain County Board of Commissioners approved submission of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program year 2025 application to the Ohio Department of Development seeking $750,000 for residential public infrastructure in Sheffield Township’s Rolling Heights sewer project, phase 1. The board noted the required local match of $750,000 will be paid from the sanitary engineers fund.

Commissioners and staff explained the county is not typically a sewer provider but serves as a facilitator and financier in limited, legacy cases where the county owns short sections of lines. County staff described this as a unique instance in which Sheffield Township and Elyria Township receive service routed through other municipalities while the county owns the lines and assesses residents for maintenance.

The sanitary engineer has a plan for phase 1, and staff said many improvements will be partially funded by affected residents in the two townships.

The commissioners approved the application by unanimous vote.

Why it matters: The project would fund sewer infrastructure in part of Sheffield Township that the county said is an unusual, county-owned segment of sewer and may rely in part on assessments to residents and the sanitary engineers fund for matching dollars.