Lewisburg Municipal Manager Jeff Sewert discusses the application the city has submitted in an attempt to secure Ohio Public Works Commission’s state capital improvement and/or the local transportation improvement program money for street repaving.
Terry Baver | The Register-Herald
LEWISBURG — Council approved a resolution authorizing municipal manager Jeff Sewert to submit an application for participation in the Ohio Public Works Commission’s state capital improvement and/or the local transportation improvement programs.
According to chief fiscal officer Susan Laux, the village is seeking OPWC money to be used for the milling and repaving of Main Street and Apple Valley Drive.
Sewert noted Apple Valley Drive was paved in the late 1980s.
“All we’ve done since then is basically crack-seal the street to maintain it over the years and it’s held up rather well,” Sewert said
Sewart said Main Street was paved from Mattis Drive to U.S. 40 in 2000.
“Usually the paving lasts about 20 years, so we’ve got 24 years out of that,” Sewert said of the Main Street paving.
Sewert said if the village application is approved, the funds will be issued as a loan at zero percent.
Laux said the thought process is if the village receives the loan, an infrastructure grant is available where the village could potentially receive up to $500,000.
“But you have to have money to go with it,” Laux said, explaining why the village is submitting the application to receive the loan from the OPWC.
Sewert said the village is using this approach because of the lack of funds available for the paving of streets.
“It is expensive to pave a road, so we have to do some creative things to find some funding to get it done,” Sewert said.
Laux indicated the status of the application won’t be known “probably until November.”
“The money won’t be available until next July, so it’s kind of a long drawn out process,” Laux said.
In other business, council approved a resolution to spend $56,000 for the installation of a cement pad for a basketball court in Lewisburg Community Park.
The pad will be installed in an open field next to the Lewisburg Trailriders Sportsmen Club, located at 6467 Knapke Lane.
According to councilmember Ted Thies, who is council’s park board liaison, the pad will be 120 feet by 70 feet.
Thies said the dimensions will allow for full-court basketball and pickle ball courts.
Thies said the park board will raise the funds for the basketball hoops and goals and take care of painting all the necessary lines.
Sewert indicated the village will use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for half of the cost.
Sewert said the remaining money will come from the village’s capital improvements fund.
Reach Terry Baver at [email protected].
