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Council approves NatureWorks grant application authorization; engineering presents sidewalk assessments and Hamilton Road grant plan
Summary
Council adopted a resolution authorizing a NatureWorks grant application for the Creekside Reimagined project to fund removable flood protection; Engineering presented sidewalk maintenance assessments with a public hearing set for July 20 and sought authorization to procure design services for a Hamilton Road repaving project to meet an ODOT grant deadline.
Council on July 6 adopted a resolution authorizing staff to apply for a NatureWorks grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to support the Creekside Reimagined project, with funding sought specifically for removable flood-protection measures. The clerk read Resolution 0025-2026, and administration emphasized that the resolution authorizes application only and does not obligate the city to construction until further approvals and procurement steps are completed.
During discussion Council Member Bowers asked for clarity that the resolution was a grant application only and would not commit the city to design or construction. Senior Director Schultz confirmed the application would focus on acquisition of removable flood barriers (stop-log replacements and similar removable systems) and the product would be selected later in the process.
Engineering staff also presented two sidewalk maintenance items and noted letters were mailed to affected property owners; a public hearing is scheduled for July 20 and property owners have 30 days after the hearing to pay assessments to avoid having them placed on the county tax duplicate (there is a five-year ramp option). Clarity was sought on interest and some parcel-level cost-share differences; staff said interest would apply only if a property owner was late in payment and that some line-item differences reflect defect-repair adjustments.
The engineering department additionally outlined the Hamilton Road urban paving project and said changes to ODOT's funding process now require a stamped engineering estimate, which in turn requires the city to move quickly to procure design services. The administration plans to seek an engineering contract with the GPD group to secure a stamped estimate in time for a grant application; construction, if funded, would be anticipated in 2028. Staff requested emergency and waiver authority at first reading so the city could meet grant deadlines.
What happens next: the NatureWorks resolution passed; sidewalk assessment ordinances will be scheduled for public hearing July 20 and action in subsequent meetings; engineering will return with contract numbers and a proposed design agreement to obtain a stamped engineering estimate for the Hamilton Road grant application.
