Latest news with #NickSanford
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Conneaut council passes two ordinances at special meeting
CONNEAUT — City council passed an ordinance to issue and sell $225,000 in bonds to pay a portion of costs of work on Broad Street at a special meeting Monday. The work on Broad Street will extend from just north of the Norfolk Southern underpass to Route 20 and is being paid for by the Ohio Department of Transportation and the city. Council had passed a similar ordinance issuing and selling $175,000 to pay for the project at a March 24 meeting. Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford informed council at an April 28 meeting they would need to pass another ordinance for bonds after bids for the project came in higher than expected. There will also be work on Broad Street from Liberty to Route 20 as part of the city's 2025 road projects. Sanford does not expect work on Broad Street to affect the Soapbox Derby, he said at a work session. 'The contractor for that project is at least four to six weeks out on expected delivery of precast inlet basins for the storm sewers,' he said. 'We don't expect to see any activity on that site for a while.' Sanford estimates the project may start around July or August. He added at a work session, the city sent out the first advertisement for bids Friday for the 2025 road projects. The second round of bids go out Friday. Bids open June 12, Sanford said. Alongside Broad Street, there will also be bids for Main Street from Mill to Harbor streets, Salem Street from its eastern terminus to Rowe Street and Day Street from Lake Road to Erie Street. There are also an alternate bids to chip and seal South Ridge Road West from Route 7 to the Kingsville Township line and for additional asphalt paving. Council passed a Community Housing and Preservation Partnership Agreement with the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners. Sanford said the agreement is a partnership with the county that the cities of Geneva and Ashtabula also participate in and relates to the state's Community Housing Impact and Preservation Program. 'It's a very fast turnaround process,' he said. Sanford said at a work session he is reaching out to CSX about the company's railroad underpass on Broad Street. 'I've requested any and all documentation that the railroad may have inspection wise,' he said. Sanford said he is not sure if the company will fulfill the request. 'I want to get ahead of this, because I know it's been a hot topic in the city of Ashtabula,' he said. Recently, Ashtabula city residents have raised concerns at Ashtabula City Council meetings and on social media about the conditions of the CSX underpass on Lake Avenue. Sanford said Conneaut's CSX bridge does not appear in the same condition as the one on Lake Avenue in Ashtabula. Councilperson-at-large Mariana Branch brought up the topic of increasing wages for council members. The wage increase could only go into effect in 2026 if it was passed this year, she said. A wage increase for 2026 could not be voted on in 2026. The city has received a bid from one firm out of Cleveland to conduct a utility rate study, Sanford said. 'They proposed a pretty nice task breakdown,' he said. 'Total fees and expense just under $43,000.' Sanford said last weekend's city clean up went well, and the city might have a second tire amnesty in the fall. Second Ward Councilperson Chris Castrilla raised concerns about Rockwell Street, asking city employees to take a look at it. Sanford requested the city have a public safety committee meeting. Committee members at the work session decided to have the meeting before the city council meeting June 23.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Contract awarded for Conneaut dredging
CONNEAUT — The United States Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $4 million contract to Michigan-based Walsh Service Solutions to dredge of federal navigation channel in the city's harbor, according to a release from the agency. Dredging will begin in mid-August and end mid-September, and the contract stipulates a total of around 70,000 cubic yards of material will be removed from the channel, according to the release. 'Dredging of harbors like these ensures accessible depths for large vessels, the continued flow of commodities across the Great Lakes, and the economic viability of United States waterways,' the release said. Conneaut's harbor supports $132 million in business revenue and $41 million in income for transportation labor. The release said the harbor has handled 2.9 million tons of cargo in 2022, 98% of which was iron ore. Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford said Walsh will work with Kurtz Brothers, the company that oversees the Conneaut Creek Dredge Reclamation Facility. The city will be paid a tipping fee for the dredged material placed in the facility, he said. Dredging operations in Conneaut are generally restricted to the federal shipping channel, Sanford said. Before 2024, the city's harbor was last dredged in 2019, Sanford said. A state ban on open-lake dumping of dredged material became effective July 1, 2020. Sanford said the city developed its own dredging plan in-line with state law. 'The Conneaut plan was designed for implementation in 2023; however unforeseen regulatory delays furrowed the agencies into 2024,' he said. Sanford said, from his understanding, the city's dredge reclamation facility had a great inaugural year. 'The facility performed exactly as designed, dewatering just over 77,000 cubic yards of dredged material from the floor of Conneaut harbor,' he said.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Conneaut pursuing comprehensive zoning reform
CONNEAUT — The city is looking to conduct a comprehensive zoning reform this year, City Manager Nick Sanford said. He said the city identified the need for zoning reform in an update to its comprehensive plan in 2018. 'Our zoning text by and large dates back in 1982,' Sanford said. The city needs to update its zoning codes to reflect the fact it is not 1982 anymore, he said. 'Our zoning code's just old, frankly,' he said. City leadership is interested in reforms that work out for both residents and developers, Sanford said. Sanford is interested in having the zoning districts have more flexibility for development and applications for development, while working to preserve historic buildings in the city, he said. Sanford said the update has to focus on the fact Conneaut is geographically diverse, with a coastline and rural and urban areas. 'It's imperative that we are mindful of that,' he said. Sanford was thankful for the work of previous city administrations and councils for what they could do to pursue the issue, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Sanford is interested in having the zoning reforms done by the end of the year, he said. 'I think it's an achievable goal,' he said. The city is still in the early stages of the project, Sanford said. 'We're essentially testing waters to get started in this,' he said. Sanford said he wants to have community workshops to hear from residents. None are planned yet, he said. The city was interested in getting a grant from the Ohio Department of Development to fund the project. Council passed a resolution approving the grant application at an April 28 meeting. Sanford said ODD received around $2 million in requests, and had to close the window for funding applications early. 'This is something we're still going to pursue without funding,' he said. Sanford said MS Consultants, an engineering firm the city uses, has several employees versed in the nuances of zoning reform and law, who can help the city.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Food Truck Battle returns to the Fairgrounds
(WSYR-TV) — The Food Truck Battle is back for year five and this year it's bigger and better than ever! Not only are there tons of trucks from around CNY and the rest of Upstate NY, for the second year in a row, the battle is two nights long. Nick Sanford, the president of the Syracuse Food Truck Association, brought along with him Baja Cali Taco Co., The Baked Potato Express and PB&J's LunchBox to Bridge Street. The gang previewed what is to come this weekend during the competition. The Food Truck Battle is back for it's 5th year at the NYS Fairgrounds this Friday and Saturday, May 16 and May 17. For more info, head to Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governments assist home owners in small ways
Home improvement work is an owner-driven initiative, but government assists homeowners in a variety of ways. One way local governments assist a homeowner is through tax abatements. In Conneaut, homeowners can fill out a form, through the Community Reinvestment Area, which can lead to tax exempt possibilities for a homeowner building a house or conducting remodeling work, Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford said. 'We certainly offer benefits through the citywide Community Reinvestment Area in the form of tax abatements on property reinvestments during the planning phase,' he said. Sanford said the city would like to get more people involved in the program. 'It was established in 2005 during the Doug Lewis administration and city council at that time, and made effective in the codified ordinances in Chapter 1381,' he said. Sanford said it is available to all property classes, and is a tremendous reinvestment and economic development tool. Ashtabula City Manager Jim Timonere said the city offers some tax abatement options for home remodeling. He said the city encourages people to remodel homes to improve an aging housing stock. Geneva City Manager Joseph Varckette said the city's comprehensive plan, which is in the early stages of funding and planning, will address quality of housing issues as it develops. An improvement to property is also funded on a sidewalk reimbursement program, Varckette said. He said information on how the project works is available on the city's website,
