YOUNGSTOWN — City Council will consider moving ahead Wednesday with several improvement projects, including a nearly $15 million water main and lead line replacement, work to a number of streets and part of an interceptor sewer to stop wastewater from flowing into Mill Creek Park.

Council is being asked by the administration to permit the board of control to seek proposals and enter into a contract for the replacement of the water main and lead lines to more than 700 homes in the Buckeye Plat neighborhood on the city’s southeast side.

The project is estimated to cost $14,944,000 with the money borrowed from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s revolving loan, which would require 50% to be paid back and the other half forgiven, said Water Commissioner Harry L. Johnson III.

The project would be divided into two phases that would go simultaneously with one taking 16 months to complete and the other 18 months, Johnson said.

“We’ve had multiple breaks and this is an opportunity to get rid of the lead in that area,” Johnson said.

Also, the project would move waterlines connected to houses in the area — which is off of Midlothian Boulevard and Sheridan Road — from the rear of the properties to the front, Johnson said. That will make it easier to gain access to the waterlines if they need repair work, he said.

The city plans to seek proposals for the work in March with work starting in June or July, Johnson said.

“The target is to get rid of lead lines,” he said. “Because we’ll get 50% forgiven, the age of the homes and the lines as well as the number of breaks, it’s going to be a big benefit.”

The city’s goal is to replace all lead waterlines.

It finished a $2.45 million project on and near Mahoning Avenue in December that impacted about 300 homes using the EPA program and a $2.3 million project on and near Eddie and Roy streets and Hazelwood Avenue in 2023 using American Rescue Plan funding.

The Ohio EPA loan forgiveness program, which is funded through the federal government, is expected to be in place for the next two years, Johnson said.

The city is looking at using funding from it to possibly do work to locations on the North and East sides as well as the Uptown District, Johnson said.

SEWER PROJECT

Council will also vote Wednesday on authorizing the board of control to enter into a contract for about $475,000 with a “construction manager at risk” to work with a contractor to be hired for the first two of four phases of an interceptor sewer to stop wastewater from flowing into Mill Creek Park.

The city hired MS Consultants Inc. last year for $4.8 million to design the interceptor sewer. That work is complete — which designs about 90% of the work — with the firm hired as construction manager at risk to finish the design work with the contractor to be hired, said Charles Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works.

The first two phases are estimated to cost about $50 million with the city looking to lower that amount, Shasho said.

The entire project, estimated to cost about $72.5 million to $87.2 million, will keep wastewater from 13 lines from flowing into Mill Creek’s Lake Glacier and Lake Cohasset.

The entire interceptor project is expected to be finished by October 2032.

The project is part of a dispute between the city and the federal government that requires significant improvement work to Youngstown’s wastewater system.

A resolution is being worked on to settle a lawsuit filed by the city seeking to change the scope of the project because of escalating costs and the belief that not all of the work is needed. A November court filing said the two sides “believe that they have reached an agreement in principle” with a federal judge giving them until Feb. 26 to file a status report on the negotiated settlement.

The key part of the dispute is over a 100-million-gallon-per-day wet weather facility — a physical building that would be located near the city’s wastewater plant to treat excess combined sewage during heavy rainstorms and then release the water.

The initial estimate for that work was $62 million, but the city contends it is now more than $240 million.

The federal EPA had originally ordered the city in 2002 to do $310 million worth of work, but it was negotiated down to $160 million in 2014 with the expectation it would be finished in 20 years.

In court filings, the city states the mandates would now cost about $380 million to $400 million.

The first phase to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant was finished. Its initial estimate was $37.3 million and cost the city $70 million.

ROAD PROJECTS

Council will consider legislation Wednesday to advertise for contracts for storm sewers, catch basins and drainage improvements to Redondo Road from Fifth to Belmont avenues. The project would also include partial road repaving, new curbs and handicapped ramps, Shasho said.

The estimated cost for the project is $905,000. Also on council’s agenda is permitting the board of control to hire a firm to do planning, inspection and construction administration on the job for $90,000.

“We have frequent flooding issues on the street and backups into people’s homes,” Shasho said.

The city will open proposals for the work at the end of the month with the job starting in March or April and taking about 120 days, Shasho said.

A professional service agreement proposal for repaving work to sections of Gibson, Liberty and Shehy streets will also be in front of council Wednesday.

It will cost about $106,000 for engineering design, construction administration and inspection services for that job with the state paying 54% and the city covering the remaining 46%, Shasho said.

Including the professional service agreement, the project’s total cost will be about $1.1 million with the state-city share remaining the same, Shasho said.

“These streets need the work,” he said.

The project includes paving, pavement markings, curb ramps and traffic signs.

It includes Gibson Street from Poland to Indianola avenues, Liberty from Atkinson to Bott avenues, and Shehy from Lincoln Park Drive to Loveless Avenue.

The city is expected to seek proposals in June and have the project done this year, Shasho said. The job will take 60 to 90 days, he said.