State of the City: Sunbury touts $10M in grants, $2.5M in impact fees, parks and public-safety investments

At the State of the City address, Mayor Joe Saint John highlighted recent financial gains and capital investments he said are positioning Sunbury for responsible growth.

"Over the last 3 years, we've secured nearly $10 million in grant funding," the mayor said, crediting competitive grant-writing and partnerships for supporting projects including the East Granville Street connectivity work, a wastewater-treatment-plant expansion, the Ohio to Erie Trail connections, and safety improvements on State Route 37 and Morning Street.

St. John said the city had also generated "over $2.5 million in impact fees," funds reserved for capital needs created by new development. He emphasized that impact fees, by law and practice in Sunbury, cannot be used for staff salaries or routine maintenance and are intended for infrastructure additions such as roads, parkland and public facilities.

The mayor recapped completion last year of the city’s first stand-alone police building, the leasing of six patrol vehicles (with a projected drop in maintenance costs and an option to purchase for $1 at lease end), and an expanded drone program to support search, structural assessments and event safety. He noted the Columbus Street parking-lot project added 26 spaces, including two accessible spots and permeable paving that reduced stormwater-pipe costs by an estimated $800,000.

On infrastructure, St. John described a wastewater-treatment-plant expansion that will nearly double capacity to 2 million gallons per day with construction started in summer 2025 and expected completion by the end of 2027. He also described the East Granville Street widening — funded largely with state and federal grants — which will add sidewalks, a shared-use path and a pedestrian bridge to improve connectivity to J.R. Smith Park and the Ohio to Erie Trail.

Park investments highlighted included an ongoing six-month renovation of J.R. Smith Park (new splash pad, pavilion, courts and playground) and completion of a volunteer-built bridge at Freedom Park led by Eagle Scout Brooke Gable (about 300 volunteer hours and roughly 3,500 lb of hand-mixed concrete). The mayor presented the Big Walnut Civic Association with the 2026 Mayor’s Service Award for coordinating major community events and volunteer efforts.

The mayor framed the projects as evidence of "responsible leadership" focused on fiscal stewardship and community partnerships. Most items described were project updates and plans; the address did not record formal council votes on these items during the presentation.