North Royalton utilities committee backs wastewater upgrades, recommends loan and contracts to council

The North Royalton Utilities Committee on April 7 reviewed multiple wastewater projects, recommended three items to City Council and removed a Lytle Road grant update from its agenda.

Wastewater Superintendent Ed Haller told the committee the city will install 16 sewer meters and five rain gauges around April 20 to measure inflow and infiltration (I&I) during the rainy season; the devices are expected to remain for about two months to capture peak-period data. Haller also reported that the Abbey Road sewer work is complete and that remaining ancillary tasks are the SCADA system and HVAC upgrades, with no current risks to completion.

City Engineer Matt Glass said crews have begun driveway and lawn restoration on the Edgerton Road sanitary sewer project; he said the sewer line itself is installed, tested and approved and that final assessment work will follow submission and approval of the final invoice.

Haller said the city has completed the second of four AECOM workshops for a facility assessment of Plants A and B and that design work is underway for short-term projects including a primary settling tank at the A plant, inflow and pump station work at the B plant, and a solids-handling MCC panel. He characterized the current loan request as a financing placeholder to begin the EPA's Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) process while design and later bidding proceed.

On funding and procurement matters, the committee recommended three ordinances by unanimous committee voice votes (Yeas: 2; Nays: 0):

- Ordinance 26-65 to accept Bonded Chemicals' bid for ferric chloride. Haller said ferric chloride doses are required to reduce phosphorus and limit algae growth in Lake Erie; the supplier's bid represented a modest price reduction from $1,202 to $1,188 per unit and the department plans to evaluate a second-year option after one year of service.

- Ordinance 26-66 to apply for a WPCLF construction loan for A&B plant improvements. Haller told the committee the city has combined planning and design with the loan process and that the WPCLF often provides low-rate funding for projects that meet program requirements. Committee member Gary Petrusky questioned whether the city should obtain bids to fix a project price before seeking a loan; Law Director Tom Kelly and Clerk Helen Dunlap said the Finance Director approved the ordinance language and the committee voted to recommend it to council.

- Ordinance 26-67 to raise the $70,000 purchase-order maximum for vendor Buckeye Pumps. Haller said many replacement pumps, including the smallest of three needed at the A plant, can cost about $40,000 and many pumps are only available from Buckeye; the committee recommended the ordinance to limit procurement hurdles when sole-source or high-cost parts are required.

On the Lytle Road grant, Glass said the city's application to Cleveland Water ranked 44th of 69 applicants with a score of 36.54; he noted the lowest awarded score was about 56.59. Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz and Chair Coleman indicated the city would not likely pursue alternate funding through OPWC at this time, and the committee voted to remove the Lytle Road Grant Update from the agenda.

Procedural motions included approval of the March 3 minutes (moved by Gary Petrusky, seconded by Matt Coleman) and the committee adjourned at 6:23 p.m.

All recommended ordinances and any loan authorization will be considered next by the full City Council, which will decide whether to adopt the measures, authorize bidding or pursue alternative funding.