City engineer outlines 10‑year capital plan, ODOT safety study for US‑224

The city’s engineering staff reviewed long‑range capital planning and immediate project sequencing at the budget hearing, emphasizing grant leverage and the value of early bidding.

City Engineer Jeremy (identified in the record as Jeremy) said the engineering office manages dozens of simultaneous projects and the 10‑year capital plan (tens of millions of dollars of capital needs). He said the city applied for roughly $11.8 million in grants in 2025 and received about $8.9 million in awards, citing a 95% FAA funding match for a major runway project as an example of successful grant leverage.

Jeremy described an ODOT‑led safety study for US‑224/Tiffin Avenue (Main St to 237) that will analyze crash patterns and evaluate engineering alternatives — from lane reconfiguration to medians — and could create eligibility for safety funds covering a substantial portion of construction costs. He advised that early posting of projects and bidding when contractors are available typically yields lower prices and helps contractors schedule work efficiently, creating cost savings for the city.

The capital plan will be distributed to council with line‑by‑line project detail and the administration expects to post routine annual resurfacing and other projects early in the bidding season. Jeremy said the capital plan assumes a 20% allocation of income tax revenue to capital but that the plan will be updated if that share changes.

The next steps are publication of the capital plan materials (expected in February) and council review of specific projects for sequencing and funding.