YOUNGSTOWN Youngstown City Council is scheduled to meet in a special session next Monday on a plan to approve a $43 million contract for major sewer improvements. This project is a step in dealing with a 2003 federal order about the city's overflowing sewer system.

Under the plan, the city would contract with Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Company to manage the construction of the Mill Creek Park Interceptor Sewer, Parts 1 and 2. This work is needed for the city's long-term plan to control combined sewer overflows, as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio EPA.

Marucci & Gaffney Excavating was chosen because city officials say they offered the best overall proposal. The company has already started reviewing the project's practicality, finalizing designs, and providing a guaranteed maximum price for the construction.

Under the contract’s terms, the project's cost is capped at $43 million, and the money will come from the Wastewater Treatment Plant's budget.

The Mill Creek project is part of an effort to update Youngstown's wastewater system, which began in 1998 with a lawsuit from the U.S. and Ohio EPA against the city. In 2002, a legal agreement, or consent decree, was put in place, forcing Youngstown to create a plan to reduce sewer overflows into local waterways like Mill Creek.

Recently, court documents filed on June 6, 2025, showed an update to that 2002 agreement. This update changes the original plan and speeds up the timeline for the Mill Creek Project.

Under the new schedule, the city would have to begin building Mill Creek Parts 1 and 2 by Jan. 31, 2026, and finish the work by May 29, 2028. If the city misses these deadlines, it could face penalties.

The city has already finished upgrading its Wastewater Treatment Plant. There's also a new sewer system planned for Mill Creek and a project to reduce overflows from another major discharge point.

The City Council will decide if this plan should pass as an emergency measure. If six council members agree, it would go into effect right away. Otherwise, it would become law later.