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Road budget leaves repairs at dead end
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - March 21, 2012)
Road budget leaves repairs at dead end
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Burton Township Trustees are doing a balancing act in trying to maintain township roads on a limited budget.
"We just don't have the finances to do every road out there," Trustee Daniel Whiting said. "We have to look at the number of residents that benefit. It's a tough one."
Township Trustees, who work with an annual operating budget of a little more than $1 million, heard an appeal Monday to find the money for repairs along Station Road.
Steven Trudick, who operates Hardwood Lumber on Station Road, said the road has deteriorated to the point that his customers have turned away. "The road is disintegrating," he said.
The township has made attempts by pouring cold patch into the chuckholes, he said, but the repairs are short-lived as rain and pounding tires quickly create new holes.
Mr. Whiting said the township has investigated paving it but would have to do the project jointly with Middlefield Township, because Station Road borders the two communities. Previous estimates for the work were about $350,000, he said.
Burton has an agreement with Middlefield to perform maintenance, but any road improvements or repairs must be done jointly, Mr. Whiting said.
Trustee Kenneth Burnett said the cost for the work has likely risen to about $400,000 since that earlier estimate was obtained.
Even if the township had the money, it would be hard to justify spending it on Station Road, which only serves three or four homeowners, when other roads that serve 30 or more homeowners also need work, he said.
"That road's a mess," Mr. Burnett said. "No doubt about it. We're Band-Aiding it."
"I wish I had an easy answer," Mr. Whiting said.
Michael Stone, an planning engineer with the Geauga County Engineer's Office, said a joint project with Middlefield is not likely to occur in the near future. He said Middlefield is concentrating its efforts on roads such as Shedd and Newcomb roads, which carry more traffic.
Mr. Stone said the previous estimate included items that may have been a "little bit of an overkill" and could be eliminated to reduce the cost. "I can take another look at it and try to pare it down," he said.
Mr. Burnett said it's difficult when two political entities are involved. "It's a bit of a problem for both of us to have the money in the same year," he said. "It's going to be a challenge."
Trustee James Dvorak said the township has changed its tack from trying to keep up with three or four roads a year to concentrating on one.
Mr. Trudick asked whether the township would consider reverting Station Road to gravel.
Residents living there made it clear that they do not want a gravel road, Mr. Burnett said. "They didn't want to hear about that," he said.
Mr. Stone said the township may consider applying for Ohio Public Works Commission grants. Station Road may not be considered a priority road under the program, because it's not a through street, he said, but the county may be able to argue that it's important for the businesses located there.
Mr. Stone said the township also may want to rethink how it approaches road repairs.
He said a request to chip-and-seal Longwood Avenue and Broadwood and Moss Woods drives may be just "throwing money away." Chip-and-seal work would likely not hold up to the traffic in that subdivision, he said. "With that many cars, chip-and-seal just will not stick."
Mr. Stone said he would provide the township with a list of methods that can be used to maintain its roads and their costs. He said timely and less expensive road maintenance will prevent the township from having to do major work on them.
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