Akron committee approves concrete street repairs and fast-tracks liquid-oxygen contract as staff reports sewer system weathered heavy rains

The Akron Public Service, Public Utilities and Green Committee approved an ordinance confirming the assessment equalization board's report and moved forward on a program of targeted concrete "patch-and-match" street repairs, and it authorized a three-year contract with Lindy Incorporated to supply liquid oxygen to the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Service Director Chris Leutle, who presented both items, said the assessment ordinance confirms the equalization board's findings and allows the city to proceed with repairs on a list of named streets. "This legislation will allow us to move forward with our concrete street repair program this year," Leutle said. He identified the work as a targeted program for concrete streets that are repairable without full reconstruction and said the contract award is in place for work to begin "probably the second week of July," because Ohio Public Works Commission funding is not available until after July 1.

Leutle described how property charges are calculated and how the city shares costs. "On residential, it's $6.65 a front foot," he said, and noted that after final bid prices are measured, homeowners typically pay about 30% of the true cost while the remainder is covered by OPWC and the city's program. He offered an example: if bid prices equate to $20 per front foot for a 50-foot lot, the owner's share would be about $1,000; if spread over 10 years, the annual tax increase would be roughly $100 (two semiannual bills of about $50).

Council Person Wilson pressed for clarification about how frontage changes are handled and how property owners qualify for relief; Leutle said front-foot estimates are adjusted after field measurements and that owners can seek relief by showing there is "no benefit" from the improvement on their frontage (for example, if there is no driveway or access on the improved side). Sarah, the staff member who read the ordinances for the record, agreed to provide the equalization board membership list to the council upon request.

On the wastewater item, Leutle outlined a three-year supply contract with Lindy Incorporated, which maintains a tank installed in 1999. "We purchase liquid oxygen from them," Leutle said. He explained the city uses liquid oxygen during high-flow events to raise dissolved-oxygen concentrations, reduce odors and control biological growth so the plant can meet its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. Leutle asked the committee to suspend the rules to expedite the contract.

When asked about recent heavy rains, Leutle said the system performed well. "From Wednesday when it started raining all the way up until Thursday morning, we didn't receive one call from one resident about a backup in the basement," he said. He reported the city held approximately 50 million gallons of combined storm and sanitary storage in basins and tunnels during the peak and that plant flow reached about 240 million gallons for roughly four hours; river flow rose sharply during the storm and returned closer to normal within about a day and a half, he said.

Votes at a glance: by voice vote the committee approved the ordinance confirming the assessment equalization board report and adopted the item by consent; it also approved suspension of the rules and gave a favorable report to the three-year Lindy Incorporated contract. The transcript records members saying "I" in favor and no opposition in the meeting record provided; no roll-call tallies or individual recorded votes were included in the transcript.

Why this matters: The assessment confirmation clears the legal step needed to invoice affected property owners for their share of targeted concrete repairs and to accept state funding for the work. The Lindy contract covers an operational chemical the plant relies on during high-flow events; expediting the contract keeps the plant's ability to meet permit conditions and reduce odor risks.

The committee adjourned and announced the Budget and Finance Committee would convene at 3:00 p.m. with members Lombardo, Amobian, Wilson, Boys and Balden scheduled to meet.