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Public works director outlines road programs, erosion concerns and park improvements
Summary
Public Works Director Harry Holbert told council the city will start a crack sealant program next month, is assessing serious erosion on Zohr Road that may require grant funding and expensive repairs, and plans park improvements including a donated stone monument at Otters Park.
Harry Holbert, South Lebanon public works director, updated the council on several ongoing maintenance and capital concerns at the Aug. 7 meeting.
Holbert said the city’s crack sealant program will begin next month and warned residents to expect detours during the work. He described “serious erosion” on Zohr Road that is “starting to fall down the hill” and said staff have contacted the county engineer and will pursue grants to pay for repairs that he described as likely to be expensive. Holbert said legislation tied to that work could appear within the next three to six months.
On routine maintenance, Holbert said unexpected repairs to water infrastructure continue and are driving overtime costs. He told the council the public works crew has done in‑house full‑depth curb repairs that saved an estimated $5,000 to $7,000 compared with outsourcing the work. Holbert said catch basins have needed repair for multiple years and that the department may need to hire an additional employee to keep up with work as the city moves from crack sealant to leaf and snow seasons.
Holbert also described early planning for a parks study and possible amenities such as a trail link, a river overlook deck and a stone monument installation at Otters Park. He said a private donor had provided a large stone and the city will add landscaping around it. Separately, he identified a problem with a large grate on The King (a recently repaved street) that is moving and likely will require excavation and reconstruction because bus and fire apparatus traffic place extra loads on the area.
Holbert credited county partners for recent paving work on a portion of the Mill Grove/Morrow road expansion and said material and labor cost increases will affect the 2026 budget.
Mayor Burke and other council members asked follow‑up questions during the department report. No formal motions or funding approvals for the items Holbert described were recorded in the meeting transcript; Holbert said the city will seek grants and bring legislation for needed repairs.
