City manager outlines streetscape paving schedule; council discusses flood debris cleanup and origins

City Manager Mister Herron gave the Wheeling City Council an update July 15 on the downtown streetscape and the city’s paving projects, and councilors asked questions about responsibility for flood-related debris along the creek.

Herron said full-depth repairs to trench lines and manhole areas on Market Street will begin July 28 and will take about a week where needed. He added that one half of Market Street plus Tenth, Twelfth and Fourteenth streets will be milled and paved, followed by the other half so traffic can be maintained; he estimated, weather permitting, paving work would take three to four weeks during August. Herron also said portions of Sixteenth Street from Main to Chaplain, Oak Street and Chaplin toward Route 2 and 250 will be paved later in the fall because streetscaping work is still ongoing in those areas.

Herron reported the city’s paving projects with contractor Semper Fi are about 63% complete, and the pickleball courts in Elm Grove have been paved. He said the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) portion of Semper Fi’s contract—about $200,000—will be completed in August.

On flood cleanup, a council member asked who would be responsible to remove debris from the creek, including dumpsters, shipping containers and car parts observed from Elm Grove to Kroger. Herron stated that debris removal has typically been paid for through the state emergency management agency and that FEMA reimbursement is pursued as appropriate; he said estimated costs would be included in any FEMA application. When asked whether shipping containers observed along the creek bank were city property or acceptable, Herron said he believed most, if not all, came from outside city limits and that, routinely, the city does not have those types of containers along the creek. He said he would double-check and follow up if there are one or two within city limits.

Nut Graf: The manager provided specific start dates for urgent trench and paving repairs downtown and confirmed funding and reimbursement paths for flood debris removal typically pass through state emergency management with FEMA as the ultimate reimbursing authority; he committed to checking whether shipping containers observed near the creek are within city limits.

Discussion and next steps: Herron said staff will circulate schedules for water and sewer capital projects and present engineers’ plans at a public works committee meeting later in July. Council asked about ongoing streetscape weeding and maintenance; Herron said the city specified a private contractor to weed the streetscape twice per month.

Ending: Work on Market Street and cross streets is scheduled to begin July 28 with the bulk of paving occurring in August, subject to weather; staff will return to committees with detailed project schedules and any findings about creek-side containers.