$43 million Youngstown sewer project delayed following dissenting vote

YOUNGSTOWN - A $43 million project for sewer improvements for the City of Youngstown has been delayed following a dissenting vote Friday afternoon.

During a special meeting held in Youngstown Council Chambers at noon, Third Ward Councilwoman Samantha Turner voted against an ordinance to authorize the Youngstown Board of Control to enter an agreement with Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Company to manage the construction of the Mill Creek Park Interceptor Sewer, Parts 1 and 2.

This is necessary for the city's long-term plan to control combined sewer overflows, as required by the Ohio and U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA).

Youngstown Fourth Ward Councilman Mike Ray told 21 News this is an important project and time is of the essence because the city had entered into a federal consent decree with the U.S. and Ohio EPA.

"Failing to act in our responsibility as a council could be in violation of a consent decree. I don't want to be held in contempt of the federal government for not doing a project that needs to be done," Ray said.

"A lot of eyes are on us when you make an agreement, and then we don't go through with the agreement we're making. We need to do that and honor that commitment and move forward in the project," Ray added.

Since the ordinance did not pass at Friday's meeting, it will now have to go through a third reading.

Youngstown Senior Assistant Law Director Jason Small echoes Ray's sentiments, saying he does not want to miss the deadline city officials had negotiated with the federal government.

"I think part of the confusion stems from the fact that this is not a traditional bid, design, build project, and that we are using construction manager at risk, which allows us to work with the engineer and work with the contractor to establish a guaranteed maximum price. We are allocating the funds with this legislation that would pay that guaranteed maximum price and we're involved in every step of that process," Small said.

Small says there is no time frame for when this matter will go through a third reading, but he hopes it is sooner rather than later, and before the negotiated deadline.

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