The committee advanced an ordinance authorizing agreements with Summit County concerning the High Level Bridge replacement project and declared the matter an emergency.

Chris Luddl said Summit County approached Akron about replacing the High Level Bridge — a connector between North Main Street and State Road in North Hill — and that the city agreed to contribute $250,000 to the design. He said the county had secured about $5,000,000 in state funds (which he attributed in the record to assistance by Congresswoman Sykes) for the design phase and that construction is expected three to four years out. Luddl said GPD is the design firm coordinating with Akron projects (including tunnel/Main Street work) to minimize interference with an existing tunnel under Main Street.

Councilman Lombardo sought clarification whether the $8,000,000 cited was design only or design plus construction; Luddl replied that the $8,000,000 referred to design costs and that the total replacement cost was described, in the record, as about $5,060,000,000. Luddl described a plan to build the new structure adjacent to the existing bridge to avoid closing or substantially disrupting an assisted-living facility nearby, though some driveway or front-yard impacts are possible during construction.

Councilwoman Fran Wilson asked whether future funding requests to Akron were expected; Luddl said the design is incomplete so additional funding requests had not yet been defined and that the county had not asked Akron for more than the previously agreed $250,000. The committee moved the item to the consent agenda by voice vote.