Toledo council approves $16 million loan agreement to replace collapsed Arlington Avenue sewer line

The Toledo City Council on Sept. 23 authorized the mayor to apply for and enter into a loan agreement with the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) in an amount not to exceed $16 million to fund replacement of a collapsed sanitary sewer on Arlington Avenue.

The mayor and council approved Ordinance 4 42-25 after a presentation by Doug Stevens, director of public utilities, who said the city originally planned two spot repairs and relining for about $8 million but found the pipe damage extensive enough that full replacement is now necessary. "We believe it's more cost effective and will be a better long-term solution to completely replace the line," Stevens said. He said crews have excavated a shaft about 55 feet deep and that heavy clay debris suggests the top of the existing clay tile sewer has likely collapsed.

The council voted to waive the formal competitive bidding provisions of Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 187 and to authorize borrowing, the appropriation and expenditure of loan proceeds into the sanitary sewer replacement fund, and a…