Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Costs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City explains higher Sugar Ridge engineering costs; two consultant contracts remain under review
Summary
City engineer told council that ODOT requirements and higher labor costs drove Sugar Ridge Road and roundabout design fees from industry estimates to roughly 25–30% of construction cost; two contracts (Fishback and American StructurePoint) for design services were listed at second reading.
The city engineer told the North Ridgeville City Council on Dec. 1 that design costs for the Sugar Ridge rehabilitation and an associated roundabout rose substantially after initial 2023 scoping and subsequent consultant proposals.
According to the city engineer, earlier estimates used a common industry rule of thumb (about 10% of projected construction costs) for professional design services, but ODOT’s additional requirements — including expanded environmental reviews, utility relocation plans and extra public engagement — plus higher labor costs pushed design estimates toward 25–30% of construction. He said that explanation accounts for a rise in the Sugar Ridge rehabilitation design estimate from $150,000 to $370,000 and for the roundabout design estimate from $190,000 to $430,000.
The engineer said the city secured ODOT construction funding of $2,230,000 for the roundabout and $2,000,000 for the rehabilitation project, covering roughly 80% of estimated construction costs in the engineer’s view. He advised that in future the city may wait for final design estimates before taking legislation to council, but noted it was advantageous to secure ODOT construction dollars even if design fees are higher than originally budgeted.
Council’s agenda included two contract authorizations at second reading: an authorization for the mayor to enter a contract with Fishback (a consulting firm) for Sugar Ridge Road/Bender Road roundabout services not to exceed $429,807, and an authorization for American StructurePoint to provide engineering services for the Sugar Ridge Road rehabilitation not to exceed $370,410. Both items were listed for further consideration and a public hearing on Dec. 15.
Residents who spoke during public comment raised concerns about the rise in engineering costs and urged clearer procurement processes. The city engineer said the procurement followed ODOT-required procedures for selecting pre‑qualified consultants and that staff scored firms using ODOT scoring criteria.
Next steps: public hearings on the projects are scheduled for Dec. 15, when council will take further public comment and consider the related ordinances and contract authorizations.
