GIRARD — Following a lengthy discussion, city council voted 7-0 Monday to proceed with a study on the Girard Upper Lake dam — as long as grant funding covers a portion of the $195,400 cost.

Council members suggested possibly postponing acting on the study until the Sept. 11 meeting, but were informed they could lose grant money being offered this month through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Council is on summer recess for August.

The study would include boring and examining soil by the dam.

Councilwoman at-Large Lily Martuccio said the city could contact ODNR and ask for an extension until September to further review the matter and extend the grant availability deadline.

“There are questions we have, and more time is needed to look over this,” she said.

Councilman at -Large John Moliterno agreed, saying officials were only informed in May of the need for the study.

Safety / Service Director Jerry Lambert said there is no guarantee the grant funding will be available if postponed.

“It’s a conundrum. There are no guarantees,” council President Reynold Paolone said.

The city would have to pay $68,000 of the $195,400 study with the rest covered by a grant.

Mayor James Melfi said more than 20 years ago, there was a situation with the Girard Lower Lake dam. He said in the late 1990s, ODNR placed on the city a consent order to address the Lower Lake dam by either repairing, rebuilding or breaching it.

“History can repeat itself. The city had to breach the dam because we were in fiscal emergency,” he said.

Melfi said the city owns the dam and is responsible for it.

First Ward Councilman Keith Schubert said since the Girard Lower Lake dam was breached, the property is worthless. He said he wanted to avoid jeopardizing an asset like the Girard Upper Lake, and wants the study to proceed.

A contract for the study was approved with Verdantas LLC of St. Clairsville.

STREET PAVING

In other business, council decided to make a modification to the planned 2023 street paving, reducing the number of streets this year so money could instead be used for a salt barn.

Council voted to enter into an agreement with Clearspan Structures of Glasonbury, Connecticut, for the engineering, design, manufacturing and shipping of a 40- by 100-foot salt barn at a cost not to exceed $85,044.

Council also approved street paving work for this summer at a reduced price of $204,499 because of the fewer number of streets. The original price tag was $317,253. A contract for the work was approved with Lindy Paving of New Galilee, Pa.

Streets to be paved this year are sections of Pawnee Court, Patricia Drive, Washington Avenue, Kline Avenue, Mosier Road, Ohio Avenue, Fremont Avenue, South Lorain Avenue, Amhurst Drive and from 628 Powers Ave. to Elruth Drive.

Second Ward Councilman Mark Standohar said the city needed to pare down the paving because officials felt the salt barn is needed. The price tag for that is $399,000, which includes getting the structure, and the construction and installation. He said the large salt barn would be used for storing of salt, as well as equipment.

Standohar said streets removed from the 2023 paving list will be placed on the 2024 list.

“They will be given top priority in 2024,” he said.

The streets moved to 2024 include sections of Beaver Street, Hazel Avenue, Elruth Drive, St. Clair Street, Ward Avenue, Iowa Avenue and Ohio Avenue.

Council also:

∫ Entered into a contract with Bova Excavating of Struthers for the Keefer Road waterline project at $193,570;

∫ Placed a renewal of a 0.8-mill, five-year trash removal levy on the November ballot.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com