Council adds Hillcrest and Riverside to Jennings contract to keep work contiguous

Rossford City Council on June 24 approved ordinance 2025-48 authorizing the city administrator to enter into a contract with Helms & Sons to reconstruct Hillcrest Drive and a short section of Riverside Drive, waiving competitive bidding and declaring an emergency. The measure was described as a change order to the existing Jennings Road contract so the same contractor can complete the contiguous work.

Administration staff said adding the two small road segments to the on-site contractor would avoid redoing new pavement and would help ensure the project is finished in time for the city's Halloween parade. "In order to ensure that all of that section we're rebuilding and reconstructing, Jennings right now, we're also going to be reconstructing Hillcrest and that sort short section of Riverside Drive... In order to ensure that all of it is completed in time for the Halloween parade, we'd like to award this as a change order to the original Jennings contract adding in these 2 roadways," Allison (staff member) said.

Council moved to suspend the second and third readings, declare an emergency and adopt the ordinance. The motion to adopt passed with aye votes recorded from Oberdorf, Echol, Tinney, Owen, Heben and Toth.

Why it matters: Consolidating adjacent work under one contractor can reduce duplication of mobilization, prevent newly finished pavement from being cut to complete nearby work, and help the city meet an event-driven deadline.

Next steps: Administration will execute the change order with Helms & Sons and coordinate scheduling to minimize disruption for residents; the contract waiver and emergency declaration were approved by council.