MANSFIELD — Bob Bianchi said Tuesday his office uses city-wide aerial imaging 50 times every day.
“Somebody in our office is probably using it right now and I am not exaggerating,” the City of Mansfield engineer said after the Board of Control approved spending $166,125 on a contract with Woolpert Inc. from Columbus to remap the city.
Bianchi said it’s been two years since Woolpert last did the work. It will be done at a flying height capable of producing images with 1-inch pixel resolution, according to the contract.
“Things change. Things change a lot, even the degradation of pavement over time. You can tell the change in pavements and other things. And, of course, demolition. So it’s used all the time,” Bianchi said.
“(Woolpert) has done this work historically for us and we’d like to hire them to do it again. They have done a very nice job for us,” the engineer said.
“You can zoom in and see pavement markings, cracks in the pavement, issues with storm water, catch basins, everything,” he said.
City Council had previously approved the funding to have the work done.
The Board of Control, — Mayor Jodie Perry, Finance Director Kelly Blankenship and Safety Service Keith Porch — awarded the contract to Wolpert.
Bianchi said the mapping is primarily done for the city’s geographic information system.
“We have three utilities that are supported by GIS — sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water mains,” he said, adding the costs will be borne by the sewer fund (two-thirds of the cost) and water fund (one-third.)
The expense was included in the 2024 budget, Bianchi said.
He said Wollpert’s team will fly the city in one or two days and then take six months to generate and connect the imagery.
‘We will review it and try to find any discrepancies,” he said.
Repairs needed at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport
The Board of Control also on Tuesday approved spending $36,480 with BK Layer Inc. from Perrysville to correct an underground problem at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport that has likely existed for 70 years.
Bianchi said recent work at the airport found a septic system near two of the hangers was tied directly into the storm water system, a violation of Ohio EPA storm water regulations.
He said when the city learned of the issue, it notified the EPA, which ordered the situation be corrected.
“What we try to do is act very quickly,” the engineer said. “We immediately got with BK Layer, who just did some work for us at the airport.
“The solution is that a pipe needs to be put in, abandon the septic tank, and a 440-foot pipe needs to send the sewage from the septic tank to the sanitary sewer.”
He said the company will bore under the pavement to clear space for the pipe.
“We don’t want to cut through the private hanger aprons,” Bianchi said. “BK Layer has the equipment to do the job and they have been very good and responsive to our requests. They’re ready to move quickly and get this done.”
He said the issue has likely existed since the 1950s when the hangers were originally installed.
“There is a septic tank that collects larger sediments, but the overflow has been to the storm sewer,” he said.
Control board approves police vehicle request
The board approved spending $284,539 with the Jim Shorkey Auto Group, of White Oak, Pennsylvania, to purchase three marked Dodge Durango police cruisers and one unmarked Durango for police usage.
The request will go to City Council on March 20.
Funds for the vehicles are in the Mansfield Police Department’s 2024 capital budget, according to Acting Chief Jason Bammann.
“What we have learned is if we purchase three to four cars a year (and) keep a rotation, we don’t have to come to council for eight to 10 cars, like we have in the past,” Bammann said.
“This gets us on track.”
Shorkey is often used by local law enforcement agencies because the dealer has the vehicles on the lot, ready for immediate delivery.
The prices include all the needed “upfits” for marked police vehicles, including light bars, computers/printers, in-car cameras and radios.
“Everything the officer needs (on patrol),” Bammann said.
He said the department would then look at its three oldest current marked vehicles and make a decision on whether to keep them or try to sell them on GovDeals.com.
He said all three have more than 100,000 miles.
“My hope is we can maybe utilize them elsewhere,” Bammann said. “When we get into field-force situations, you can always use extra cars.”