Urbana City Council, during its 6 p.m. meeting today in municipal court chambers, will vote on whether to suspend the three-readings rule and pass on first reading a resolution making available over $60,000 in grant funds to be used to help pay for the North Oakland Street Curbs and Walks Phase 1 Project.
With council’s approval, the resolution would allow Director of Finance Chris Boettcher to transfer and appropriate $62,000 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Revolving Loan Fund, awarded to the city by the Ohio Development Services Agency, to a fund set up to cover the costs associated with the upcoming project on North Oakland Street.
According to Community Development Manager Doug Crabill, the North Oakland Street Curbs and Walks Phase 1 Project will improve the safety of motorists and pedestrians along the first two blocks of North Oakland Street (between Miami and West Church streets) by replacing 1,300 lineal feet of combination curb and gutter, 4,000 square feet of 4-inch sidewalks, 137 square yards of 6-inch concrete pavement for driveways/drive approaches and six catch basins.
According to language in the resolution, the project, which has an estimated price tag of $116,000, would be paid for using the $62,000 from the CBDG Housing Revolving Loan Fund, $40,200 in CDBG funds allocated to the city by the Champaign County Commission and a local project match of $13,800.
Pending approval of the resolution, Crabill said, phase one of the North Oakland Street project is anticipated to begin this summer.
“In the future, we hope to undertake additional project phases along North Oakland Street,” he added.
Ordinances, resolutions
In addition to the resolution involving funds for the project on North Oakland Street, council is scheduled to hear the first reading of three other resolutions as well as a pair of related ordinances.
The two ordinances to be introduced to council involve labor agreements between the city and members of the Urbana Police Division.
One of the ordinances seeks approval of a collective bargaining agreement between the city and UPD officers, while the other ordinance would establish a labor agreement between the city and UPD sergeants. In both contracts, the UPD employees are being represented by the Fraternal Order of Police/Ohio Labor Council Inc.
Council will hear the first readings of the following resolutions:
•A resolution authorizing the director of administration to enter into the 2016-2018 Housing Revolving Loan Fund administration agreement with the Ohio Development Services Agency.
•A resolution authorizing the director of administration to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for a fiscal year 2015 Assistance to Firefighters Grant.
•A resolution enacted by the city to authorize the director of administration to submit an application to the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Small City Program for improvements to the Monument Square roundabout.
In other business:
•Council will vote on administration’s recommendation to enter into renewal base contracts with Susan Tehan, Oak Dale Cemetery coordinator, and Lou Driever, airport manager at Grimes Field.
•Administration will recommend council approve amending the existing contract with DLZ Ohio Inc. by adding $9,000 to the appraisal costs for the U.S. Route 36 East Improvement Project.
