Council approves bids for road program and parking-lot repaving; public works details 2025 capital projects

Cleveland Heights City Council authorized two procurement actions and heard a detailed presentation on the city’s aggressive 2025 capital improvement program on March 17.

Mayor Kahlil Seren asked council for permission to bid Project 2501 (the 2025 road program) and Project 2502 (parking-lot repaving for the sewer building and Fire Station No. 1). Council moved and approved each request individually. Council members voted in favor of both projects before Public Works Director Colette Klinkscale presented the department’s project map and schedule.

Director Klinkscale outlined a multi-faceted capital program that includes street repaving on approximately eight or nine primary streets identified as “poor” in the fall pavement analysis, sanitary and storm sewer repair phases, crack sealing on recently repaved streets, and coordination with Cleveland Water and gas utilities. She said the Cleveland Water Department’s lead-line replacement and the city’s water/gas-line work are shown on the map because sequencing matters: city crews do not want to repave where a water department will soon dig.

Klinkscale described active and upcoming projects: an East Monmouth sanitary/storm challenge expected to finish within a month; a Cleveland Heights Boulevard sewer repair paused after contractors discovered illegal private connections tying sanitary flows into storm lines (Klinkscale said dye testing will be run on Parkdale and Monte Vista to confirm scope and grant eligibility); and a Yellowstone project funded by ARPA that will replace water and sewer lines between Monticello and Noble Road, add temporary water tie-ins for residents, and include traffic calming near a junior high school. She also referenced work at Coventry Garage and Surrey Garage, and said the department plans crack sealing and coordination for Altamont water-line replacement and repaving.

Klinkscale warned residents there will be detours and traffic disruptions given the concentration of work and said the full map will be posted on the city website. Council members asked whether Cleveland Water can include private service-line replacements (curb to dwelling) as part of Kingston work; Klinkscale said Cleveland Water administers that program and residents can request tests to determine if their service is lead.

Motions and votes recorded at the meeting: - Motion to approve Project 2501 (2025 road program) as described by the mayor — moved and seconded; council voted to approve the motion. - Motion to approve Project 2502 (parking-lot repaving at the sewer building and Fire Station No. 1) as described by the mayor — moved and seconded; council voted to approve the motion.

Director Klinkscale said she expects most projects to be completed in 2025, except the Cleveland Water lead-line work (which may extend beyond 2025), and that some projects may require grant funding (e.g., sewer repairs where illegal connections increase scope). She asked residents to report potholes through the Mayor’s Action Center or SeeClickFix so the city can prioritize repairs.

Ending: Council approved the bid requests to launch procurement. Public Works will post an interactive map on the city website and will return to council with project schedules and any grant requests to cover expanded sewer remediation work.