City engineer presents annual report

TIFFIN --- At the Tiffin City Council meeting Monday evening, City Engineer Matt Watson presented his annual report to council members. To start the presentation, Watson discussed his staff. He is entering his 10th year working for the city and his 5th year as the city engineer. Assistant City Engineer Jason Morter is entering his 4th year, Engineer Tech 1 Ryan Steinmetz, is entering his 2nd year, Zoning Inspector Dan Brickner is entering his 7th year and Engineering Aide Dawn Wright is entering her 3rd year. "One of my biggest goals that I have been talking about is to teach staff to promote sustainability while also providing a high level of service," Watson said. He then transitioned to professional development and public relations, particularly focusing on the Municipal Engineer's Association of Ohio. It is a new organization that meets twice a year. Last year, Watson was the spotlight speaker and was able to talk about Tiffin and the projects the city engineer's office is working on. Watson also explained that the office allows for job shadowing, which promotes the engineering profession to local children. As for staff development, he works to engage his staff, and build relationships and retention. To do this, the office has a summer BBQ, Christmas party, March Madness bracket challenge and an office fantasy football league. When it comes to functionality and efficiency, the office scanned documents and images which are available to residents on the city's website, moved to IAMGIS software, has created 58 data layers and has weekly staff meetings and twice-a-month department meetings. Throughout all of that work, the office focuses on long-term city planning. The city engineer's office also handles program implementation and management. Programs of note are: * Long-term control plan, an Ohio EPA-mandated plan that requires the city to reduce its sewer overflow events to 4 per year * Survey monument preservation, which preserves survey monuments when doing construction. If monuments are destroyed, they can be reset using GPS coordinates and then a monument box will be added * Storm management, an Ohio EPA-mandated plan has 6 minimum control efforts, 2 of which are the responsibility of the city engineer's office Further, the office is responsible for zoning permits. In 2022, the office completed 200 zoning permits. "We definitely exhaust all efforts towards leveraging our local dollars with various state and federal funding sources," Watson said. Since 2018, the city engineer's office has brought nearly $9.8 million and implemented in excess of $11.4 million in local, state and federal grant funds for community infrastructure projects, according to Watson. In 2022, the engineer's office completed the following projects: *Rock Creek Wall - $95,765.16 cost *Nature Trails Park Improvements - $121,551 cost with $120,000 funded by CDBG * Annual Pavement Repair program - $720,650.35 * Trail Connectivity – striping contract - $147,255 with local donation * Trail Connectivity – signage contract - $65,105 with local donation * Harvest Lane Culvert Rehabilitation - $86,150 The engineer's office has the following projects for 2023: * Ella Street River Bridge Replacement - Contract cost: $4,155,511.87; $2,000,000 funded by ODOT's municipal bridge program; $5000,000 funded by OPWC * East Perry Street Reconstruction - Contract cost: $923,156.45; 95% funded by ODOT small cities program * South River Road Trail Improvement - Contract cost: $48,740; $22,000 funded by Tiffin Community Foundation * CSO 24 & 30 Inflow Reduction - Estimated cost: $5.9 million; $4,000,000 funded by principal forgiveness through WPCLF * HSTS Elimination - Estimated cost: $1,624,377; $390,000 funded by Ohio Water and Wastewater grant program * 2023 Urban Paving - Contract cost: $513,869.95; 80% funded by ODOT's urban paving program * 2023 Pavement Repair - Estimated Cost: $650,000; $500,000 funded by a 0% loan from OPWC Watson then presented his 5-year goals from 2021, only one was left to accomplish. The last goal carried over to 2023, is developing staff to promote sustainability while also providing a high level of service. The other goals for 2023 are to successfully implement phase one of the city's Ohio EPA-mandated long-term control plan, to continue to effectively manage the city's road and bridge levy and long-term planning. Council also passed the following resolutions and ordinances: Resolution: 23-5: authorizing the mayor to apply for, accept and enter into a Water Pollution Control fund agreement on behalf of the city of Tiffin for planning, design and/or construction of wastewater facilities involving CSO basin 24 and 30 inflow reduction project, designating a dedicated repayment source for the loan and declaring an emergency. 23-13: approving mayor's re-appointment of Bill Black to serve a term on the Sandusky County-Seneca County-City of Tiffin Port Authority from the effective date of the resolution until Dec. 31, 2025. 23-14: approving mayor's appointment of Fred Shelt to serve a term on the Zoning Board of Appeals from the effective date of the resolution until Dec. 31, 2025. Ordinances: 23-4: authorizing participation in the ODOT road salt contracts awarded or the city administrator to competitively bid for the purchase of road salt. 23-5: authorizing city administrator to prepare plans and specifications, advertise for and receive bids, and recommend and execute a contract for the 2023 Street Paving program and declaring an emergency. 23-6: authorizing and directing the city administrator to enter into an agreement with a professional design firm for engineering, design and consulting services for flow monitoring as part of the city's sanitary long-term control plan. 23-7: authorizing city administrator to prepare plans and specifications, advertise for and receive bids, and recommend and execute a construction contract for the CSO basin 24 and 30 inflow reduction project and declaring an emergency. 23-8: amending 2023 budget ordinance 22-108 to appropriate a total of $9,000 into the city administrator and general administration budgets. 23-13: amending section 149.05 of the Tiffin codified ordinances to establish a lateral hire transfer for the original appointment of firefighters and police officers and declaring an emergency. Councilmember Cheyanne Thacker scheduled a meeting for the Streets, Sidewalk and Sewer Committee to discuss the HSTS Elimination project the meeting is scheduled for at 5:15 p.m., March 15, in council chambers. City Council President Bridget Boyle also scheduled a committee of the whole meeting to discuss mayor's request for legislation 23-20, which is the ADA transition plan and to continue the discussion regarding petitions to run for council. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., March 20, in council chambers. The next city council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., March 20.