Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Owner of Grand River Railway asks Painesville for letter supporting FRA CRISI grant
Summary
Terry Feichtenbiner, co-owner of Grand River Railway, asked Council to provide a letter of support for a DOT FRA CRISI grant application (deadline June 22, 2026) to fund safety and infrastructure work; he emphasized no city funding was being requested.
During public comment at the June 1 meeting, Terry Feichtenbiner, one of two owners of Grand River Railway, asked Painesville City Council to provide a letter of support for a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Feichtenbiner said the grant window opened April 22 and that applications are due June 22, 2026. He emphasized the request was only for a community support letter and that no city funding was being sought. He provided background on the short-line railroad — purchased from CSX in 2015 for $1.65 million — and said the company has invested about $1.3 million of its own funds in roadbed improvements; the only external funding noted to date was crossing signal installation through the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Council President Jim Fodor asked for the requested deadline; Feichtenbiner said receiving the letter by roughly June 15 (ahead of the June 16 Council meeting) would be sufficient. City Manager Doug Lewis and Law Director Jim Lyons will review the request and follow up with the requester; Feichtenbiner said he would e-mail a scanned PDF of the application to Lewis.
Feichtenbiner described current customers (Osborne, Colville/Best Sand in Chardon) and said the railroad operates 2.56 miles and interchanges with CSX. He confirmed there are presently no customers with a Painesville address but noted the railroad pays local taxes.
