Rocky River moves to advance $6.67 million Beachcliff–Cornwall sewer project and related infrastructure contracts

Rocky River City Council on June 22 waived the 72-hour notice requirement and introduced an emergency ordinance to award a $6,673,393.50 contract for the Beachcliff and Cornwall Sewer Improvement Project.

President Shipp told the meeting that Ordinance 53-26 had been walked into the agenda and council voted 6–0 to waive the notification rule so the project could be considered. The ordinance would authorize a contract with Fabrizi Trucking & Paving Company for replacement of aging sanitary sewers, storm sewers and water mains along Beachcliff Boulevard and Cornwall Road, plus roadway reconstruction, new curbs and aprons, catch-basin and manhole replacements, a new sidewalk connection on Beachcliff and a raised pedestrian crossing developed through prior public engagement.

The project also includes traffic-calming elements and pit and infrastructure repairs intended to improve walkability without acquiring private property, the ordinance text said. Council materials note the low bid from Fabrizi was about $126,600 under the engineer's estimate.

Council also approved separately two wastewater-related purchases. Mr. Moran said the City will buy sodium hypochlorite for the wastewater treatment plant from Bonded Chemical at $1.81 per gallon under Ordinance 36-26 after a prior vendor, Alexander Chemical, declined to honor an earlier agreement; Council passed that ordinance after a motion to suspend the usual notice and proceed. "We need this material as soon as possible," Moran said, noting the urgency for treatment operations.

Mr. Moran introduced Ordinance 37-26 as a second-reading purchase authorization for equipment and repair services from Huber Technology (not-to-exceed $140,000) to repair a treatment-plant screening mechanism; the measure was scheduled for further consideration in July.

Director Snyder told Council the City also plans to use Fabrizi on an emergency basis for storm and sanitary sewer repairs under Ordinance 49-26 (not-to-exceed $150,000) after a competitive solicitation yielded a single responsive bid. Snyder said sewer repair costs have risen and the City will perform more work in-house where feasible but will rely on contractors for deep mains that require specialized equipment.

Council heard that the City will hire AECOM under Ordinance 50-26 (not-to-exceed $48,000) to run hydraulic modeling for sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) #306 at Magnolia and Westway. Director Snyder said the modeling will support an EPA-required closure certification (the consent order requires closure by April 22, 2027) and provide assurance that closing the SSO will not increase basement backups in the watershed.

Taken together, council members described the measures as part of an ongoing effort to modernize aging underground infrastructure and to meet regulatory requirements. Several items were introduced or advanced for later readings; the Beachcliff–Cornwall contract and the sodium-hypochlorite purchase were the evening's most significant near-term actions.

The City plans further readings and formal contract awards in subsequent meetings; Council flagged the Beachcliff–Cornwall project for additional engineering and public-notice steps before construction.