Kevin Wood, the city engineer, told the Ironton City Council on Aug. 14 that several long-running water, sewer and street projects are approaching final construction steps but that some work and environmental permitting remain before projects can be closed out.

Wood told council and the public that the contractor working on the Bath and Lane/Orchard project has provided a tentative schedule for final cleaning and paving and that crews hope to “come through… next week to come through and sweep all the streets and get them ready to… do the final paving.” He said the contractor will then lay the final top coat, which could take several days, and that residents will be notified to remove cars when sweeping and paving occur.

The progress update covered a wide set of municipal projects: completion work and a one-year warranty on the Orchard Street sanitary lift station; delivery and installation of three of four delayed control panels at a storm pump station with a planned September startup and test; a near-term schedule to reopen Third Street after waterline repairs; repairs to a short section of South Fifth/Maple where work was not done properly; an emergency generator installation at the wastewater plant expected to be finished by the end of the month; and multiple projects that require agency permits before construction can proceed.

Why this matters: many projects affect daily travel, stormwater management and sewer reliability across Ironton and carry federal and state funding requirements that hinge on completed designs and permits.

Major funding and schedule items Wood reported

- The city received a $250,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant to resurface South Third Street (mill-and-fill) from the new pavement north to approximately McGovney; the work also must bring ADA ramps into compliance with ODOT requirements before final approval. Wood said the city is “waiting on final approval of the plan from ODOT.”

- Ohio EPA awarded a $149,000 grant to develop a PFOS general plan and testing program; Wood said completing the general plan by March would position the city to apply for Ohio EPA water program funding for design.

- The city is preparing plans and permit applications for multiple wastewater-related projects to improve grant competitiveness, including lift-station improvements and a digester/trickling-filter and disinfection proposal Wood said he had forwarded to the mayor for possible council consideration.

Project timing, warranties and punch lists

Wood said mechanical equipment such as pumps carries standard one-year parts/operation warranties; pavement and storm sewer work similarly include a standard one-year repair period. He said the city conducts an 11th-month walkthrough to identify warranty items.

On the Bath and Lane/Orchard work, Wood said the contractor still must finish yard restorations and other punch-list items and that the city will withhold retainage until cleanup and property repairs meet the city’s standards.

Permitting and riverfront work

Several projects depend on outside agency approvals. Wood highlighted the riverfront improvement project and said the design team has completed a mussel survey and relocation; the environmental consultant must submit its findings to agencies and the U.S. Army Corps, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio EPA for review. "It's a very, very lengthy, tedious process," Wood said.

He added the city has submitted wastewater plant lift-station improvement plans to Ohio EPA to improve the city’s standing for potential EPA grants.

Near-term construction events and bids

- Third Street: contractor expects to pave and reopen Third Street by the end of the day Tuesday after required excavation and repairs, subject to weather and equipment; Wood said Shelley (contractor name as relayed at the meeting) planned to begin repairs on Monday.

- Storm Pump Station 7: bid opening scheduled for Aug. 26.

- Walnut sluice-gate work: Wood said critical-infrastructure funding will cover part of the cost and that the sluice gate is scheduled for completion in September.

- Water meter upgrades: the city is under contract with the vendor identified at the meeting as "Metrology" to begin reader installation over the next month, with three fixed readers around town and subsequent meter work to follow.

Public concerns raised during audience participation

Several residents spoke during audience participation about how final paving and street work will affect parking and access. Mary Ann Tessie, a resident of 1507 Karen Street, told council the upcoming work will leave some households without close parking and pressed for a clear contingency and notification plan for residents with limited mobility. "My sister... she can't walk very far. What are these people supposed to do?" Tessie asked.

Wood said he had asked the contractor for a detailed schedule and that the city would notify residents — including through the city assistant Terry's text system — when crews will sweep streets and when cars should be off the roadway. He said Karen Street paving “could be done in 1 day's time” but cautioned that the schedule is subject to confirmation and weather.

Tessie also raised a long-running drainage complaint at 1606 Karen Street alleging that grading tied to the project caused standing water on her property. Wood said the area in front of the driveway where water collects is in the public right-of-way and that the city could place the yard/curb drain “as far as she would like from the edge of the drive,” but that the low spot identified in her video appears to be the appropriate location for the drain.

Next steps and outstanding items

Wood said the city will compile operation and maintenance manuals for the pump stations, which will document warranty start dates and maintenance recommendations; he agreed to provide formal documents and to copy the mayor and council offices on warranty start information. He also said some projects — notably the riverfront and several wastewater pieces — will not move to construction until the city secures required agency permits and, for some items, better grant funding alignment.

Council action that evening was limited to receiving Wood's report and moving to other agenda items. The meeting included multiple public comments and returned later in the agenda to communications and procedural items.

Ending

City staff said they will circulate schedules and punch-list notifications to residents as contractors confirm dates. Several projects carry one-year warranty periods and are being held to standard warranty and startup procedures; larger projects such as the riverfront work remain contingent on multi-agency permitting and competitive grant cycles.