Celina, county to unite on storm sewer project

CELINA - Mercer County and city governments plan to execute an intergovernmental agreement for a joint project to expand storm sewers to alleviate excessive flooding on the west end of Celina.

Since the estimated $1.4 million project would involve two local governments and the use of federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, the city must enter into an inter-governmental agreement. Councilors at Monday night's regular meeting passed first reading of an ordinance authorizing city safety service director Tom Hitchcock to enter into that agreement.

"It just appears that through the Feds we have to enter into this agreement with the county to meet all their regulations," Hitchcock said. "(The county) can't bid the project until this all gets passed."

Phase 1 of the project, to be undertaken by the city, involves the installation of 285 liner feet from near the intersection of Meyer Road and West Logan Street north past the Celina Elementary School, about a quarter of a way to West Market Street. A manhole would be installed, too.

From there, under the county-led phase 2, the line would be extended another 3,500 linear feet, all the way to a large woods on the northwest end of the Mercer County Fairgrounds, planning documents show.

"I mean, this is a project that needs to get done. It's going to help the whole west side of the city in the terms of its drainage," councilman Mike Sovinski said.

City officials agreed to pay for phase 1 and commit a total of $500,000 toward the overall project. They plan to use a combination of funds from the city's State Route 29 tax increment financing district and its ARPA allocation, Hitchcock told the newspaper.

Mercer County government would pick up the rest of the expense, he added. It will carry out phase 2 and manage both phases of the project, including engineering, design, the bidding process, construction and record keeping, per the agreement.

The city has already awarded a $98,750 contract to Tom's Construction of St. Henry for phase 1. All materials have been ordered, and the contractor plans to begin in late November, per the city administrative report. The completion date is Dec. 31.

"This is a 40-year pending project that we are finally going to start," mayor Jeff Hazel said at a previous meeting. "Actually it has been started. The initial leg from Beaver Creek to 29 West went up several years ago and that would be the very, very first section of this."

In other action, councilors passed first reading of a resolution accepting a $21,000 donation from Bob Hibner and The Red, White and Blue Fundraiser for the Celina Police Department for the construction of a shelter house at the city gun range.

"The Red, White and Blue … is a fundraiser down in Coldwater to help benefit all the area law enforcement and fire departments," Hitchcock explained. "They've decided that they want the money to go towards the range since most of law enforcement uses our range."

The shelter house would provide a comfortable area for officers to relax, he said.

"Kudos. This is fantastic that they're able to do this," councilman Eric Clausen said. "I think it's fantastic that we're getting this money to do this … Thanks, Mr. Hibner."

Located on 25 acres of city land south of the solar plant on Meyer Road, the Celina Police Department's shooting range affords officers the opportunity to practice shooting handguns, shotguns and rifles from as far away as 350 yards at targets standing in front of a 150-foot wide, roughly 30-foot high mound of dirt.

The range is used by multiple area law enforcement agencies.

"We even have Van Wert come down," Hitchcock pointed out. "It's nice to have guys build a relationship with these other departments. It works out really well."

"That collaboration among those groups is probably pretty beneficial to everybody," councilman June Scott said.

Councilors also passed final reading of legislation to contract with Ohio Department of Transportation to provide inspections of the city's two bridges both located on Lake Shore Drive for another year.

The state, according to the legislation, agrees to pay 100% of all of the costs associated with bridge inspection services "requested by the city and agreed to by the state."

The state several years ago offered to conduct bridge inspections across Ohio at no direct cost to municipalities. In 2014, councilors by way of legislation authorized Hitchcock to participate in the project.