MANSFIELD — The City of Mansfield has proposed repaving 26.16 miles of roads in 2022, with an estimated price tag of $5.3 million.
City engineer Bob Bianchi unveiled the plan on Tuesday evening during a City Council streets committee meeting.
“This next year will be a pretty robust (paving plan),” Bianchi said. “It’s an exciting program we have got.”
The city receives about $3.7 million annually through the voter-approved “Pothole Haters” tax, a 0.25-percent income tax that has assisted with local street repairs for more than three decades.
The four-year tax was approved again by city residents during the May primary. Bianchi told council the bulk of the repaving effort will come from the city’s streets fund, though some will come from the water fund and the sewer fund since the work includes water valves and storm sewers.
“The lion’s share certainly comes out of the resurfacing program,” Bianchi said.
The engineer said that his department evaluates all 321 miles of city streets, rating them from one to five.
“We scrub the list and look at the streets that we believe are the most in need or resurfacing through the entire city,” he said.
Bianchi said the average lifespan of a street is nine to 11 years, depending on the subgrade and drainage issues.
Council is expected to vote on the plan Dec. 7. Bianchi said the city can then advertise for bids in December and open those bids in January.
Also on Tuesday, City Council:
— voted to authorize the city administration to enter into a contract for Fair Housing Services with the Richland County Board of Commissioners and the Richland County Regional Planning Commission.
— give first read to a proposed 0.25-percent income tax increase for the May primary ballot for the city’s parks and recreation department for improvements and maintenance.
— voted to reappoint Public Works Director David Remy to the Board of Tax Appeals for the City of Mansfield for another two-year term.
— voted to reappoint Dr. Robert Exton to the Richland Public Health Board for a five-year term.
— voted to approved demolitions of buildings at 99 Dawson Ave. and 328 Louise St., both damaged by fire.
— approved the 2022 tax budget for Mansfield Township and the City of Mansfield.
— voted to accept a $33,556 grant from the Ohio Crime Victims Assistance Office to be used by the Law Director’s crime victims assistance program.
— discussed during caucus the transfer of $18,301 within the safety services fund to purchase an alarm system for the police training facility planned near Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport.
— approved the transfer of $47,279 within the safety services fund for a required network reconfiguration.
— approved the appropriation of $60,000 from the unclaimed money fund to pay an unclaimed income tax refund.
— approved the appropriation of $60,000 from the unappropriated transient occupancy tax fund to be used in making payments to Downtown Mansfield, Inc. and Destination Mansfield-Richland County.
— approved the appropriation of $275,000 from the unappropriated safety services fund for the purpose of transferring funds to the fire department capital equipment fund, based on actual and anticipated revenue through Dec. 31.
— approved the appropriation of $300,000 from the unappropriated safety services PRIDE fund to the safety services fund, based on actual and anticipated revenue through Dec. 31.
— approved the appropriation of $5 million from the unappropriated water treatment plant improvement fund to award the contract for the first phase of a construction improvement plan.
— voted to authorize the engineer’s office to prepare engineering drawings and cost estimates for proposed taxiway and taxi lanes at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport at a cost not to exceed $15,000, using American Rescue Plan Act revenue replacement funds.
— approved a revised proposal to transfer the former Ocie Hill Neighborhood Center to the Richland County Land Bank. Similar legislation approved at the last council meeting didn’t have complete wording and parcel designation.
— discussed during caucus authorization the renewal of a software maintenance agreement with Superion, LLC, for the safety services department.
— discussed during caucus a proposal to amend sections of the city’s codified ordinances related to fire prevention.
