MANSFIELD — A far more detailed proposal to fund a connector between the B&O Bike Trail and Trimble Road will be considered by Mansfield City Council on Tuesday.
Local lawmakers on Aug. 3 unanimously rejected a request to spend $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds on the effort.
They quickly reconsidered their decision, propelled with new information, and said less than 48 hours later they intended to bring it back.
The changes of heart and mind came when council members said they learned Richland County commissioners were willing to commit $500,000 toward the project and were reminded the state capital budget approved earlier this year included $150,000 earmarked for the connector.
Neither the county’s participation nor the state capital funds were included in the legislation council rejected. It’s spelled out clearly this time as Bill #22-160 (see document below).
The bill’s sponsor is 4th Ward Councilman Alomar Davenport, the chair of council’s finance committee, a panel that also includes 2nd Ward Councilwoman Cheryl Meier and At-large Councilman Phil Scott.
The issue will likely be discussed during the finance committee meeting, scheduled to begin at 6:35 a.m.
Davenport was non-committal on Monday afternoon when asked about the proposal.
“I am still gathering information and unfortunately will not have (any) comment until the meeting,” he said in a text message.
Meier spoke in favor of the project during a Richland County commissioners’ meeting on Aug. 9.
Meier said she had gotten “a lot” of communication from residents in her ward and elsewhere in the city “showing tremendous support” for the project.
“I certainly will listen to my constituents and vote accordingly,” she said during the Aug. 9 meeting.
Meier reiterated her support for the proposal on Monday during a phone interview with Richland Source.
Scott, who raised the initial objection to the proposal Aug. 3, said two days later that he was not aware of the county’s commitment and the state capital grant funds.
“Given that information, this is something I could consider,” he told Richland Source. “This definitely puts a different light on it.”
The city’s engineer, Bob Bianchi, met with county commissioners Aug. 9 to provide more detail on the overall $1.7 million plan. He told them he believes $600,000 in funds for the project could be obtained through the Richland County Regional Planning office.
“We’ve got some great momentum now,” he told commissioners, further explaining his vision one day connecting the 18.4-mile bike trail to downtown Mansfield.
He said the connector between the trail and Trimble Road is the most difficult part of the vision.
“This project is the most difficult to fund. That’s because it’s not within a street right-of-way. So some of our funding sources that we typically would use are not suitable and cannot be used for this project,” Bianchi told commissioners.
Also on Tuesday, City Council is expected to:
— vote on legislation authorizing a payment of $553 to Debbie Jefferson of 221 Bartley Ave. through the city’s sewer assistance program. Jefferson suffered damage from a sewer backup in March.
— vote on plans to demolish structures at 288 E. Arch St., 303 S. Main St., 540 W. Fourth St. and 1129 1/2 Wyandotte Ave.
— vote on a proposal to pay OpenGov a total of $31,240 for software services for the Codes & Permits Department. The legislation requests a “then and now” certificate because the services were obtained without a purchase order.
— vote on legislation to enter into a Community Reinvestment Area Agreement with 1404 PAW, LLC. The tax abatement is part of a planned $2.5 million renovation to a property at 1404 Park Ave. West that will lead to 18 new jobs for one organization and a bit more breathing room for another.
