Cuyahoga County committee advances $1.49 million sewer maintenance agreement with Middleburg Heights

The Cuyahoga County Public Works Procurement and Contracting Committee advanced Resolution 20250296, authorizing a revenue-generating agreement with the City of Middleburg Heights not to exceed $1,487,562 for maintenance and repair of sanitary and storm sewers and a pumping station located in County Seward District Number 8.

“The new agreement provides a clear assignment of maintenance responsibilities, removes outdated language, and resolves ambiguities in the original documents,” said Melanie Seay, Department of Public Works, who presented the item to the committee. Seay told members the update is the first of several full-service sewer agreements the department expects to modernize in coming months.

The committee was told the update reflects several specific changes. Seay said the storm section was revised to make clear that either the city or the county may perform specified storm services rather than assigning sole responsibility to the city, and a new section clarifies pump-station responsibilities between the county and the city. Seay said the original agreement with Middleburg Heights dates to 1992, was previously updated in 2010, and that full-service agreements do not include contractual end dates.

Committee members asked about funding and contingency. Seay said the "not to exceed" amount represents yearly revenue collected on the community's tax duplicate; the amount can be adjusted once a year in May by the community's elected officials and is intended to cover typical maintenance — jetting, engineering services, CCTV and other routine repairs. For repairs beyond the county's in-house capabilities, Seay said the department uses preexisting contracts with external vendors to perform deeper or specialized excavation and repair work.

Councilman Sweeney asked whether Middleburg Heights must also pass legislation to accept the agreement; Seay said the city has already approved its legislation and that the county works with counsel on both sides to ensure the contract language is acceptable to both parties.

The committee approved the procedural motion (second reading) to advance the resolution; members signaled assent by voice vote and the chair declared, “Ayes have it.” Earlier in the meeting the committee also approved minutes from its Oct. 1 meeting.

The department said similar full-service updates for other communities will be brought to the committee in the coming months. The resolution will proceed through the county's legislative process for final action.