Local News
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Loop road funding failsSTAFF WRITER
Department of Transportation has tightened its belt, but Fostoria is feeling the pinch.
Dave Dysard, ODOT's district director for the Bowling Green office, explained to City Council Tuesday how the department's budget would affect Fostoria.
Dysard reported the state is roughly $60 million over its $200 million budget for transportation projects due to construction cost inflation and falling revenue. This gap in funding has resulted in projects being put on hold.
"We've got $60 million worth of disappointment to hand out and I happen to be the unfortunate messenger to share with you that the disappointment gets to come home to roost in the city of Fostoria," Dysard announced.
ODOT decided everything with funding is in a state of flux, Dysard explained.
Money from the consumption tax of gasoline is also not coming in as it used to and Dysard said receipts are down 4 percent from last year. While gas prices rise, the amount of money given to the state has stayed the same.
"Also, at the exact same time that is happening, all of our construction costs have blown through the roof," Dysard said.
Dysard explained the paving program and capital budget fund for ODOT went half as far as previous years. Costs in general have gone up more than 40 percent and ODOT no longer has the resources to fund current projects.
There is a possibility for a positive outcome, however, according to Dysard.
ODOT's plan is to defer projects for two years and then evaluate tax receipts and revenues. Another piece of that evaluation is the federal law that sets up how ODOT funds state programming, which will expire at the end of the 2009 fiscal year, according to Dysard, and will need to be renewed.
"There are a lot of people who are pushing very hard in Washington in Congress to understand that when you invest in transportation, you invest in our economy," Dysard explained.
Today's funding is not enough to maintain roads and certainly not to improve them, Dysard explained to Council.
"We are falling behind," Dysard said.
Any phases of the project already in progress will be finished. Dysard said right of way has been finalized so the space is there to build. Also the design phase will be completed so when the project starts up again, Dysard said ODOT will be ready to go.
The most recent cost estimate for the project on Jones Road is $11.6 million. Council members said that is more than twice what they thought the project would cost when it was proposed. The construction there was originally set for 2003.
Dysard explained that $1.3 million has been funded and there is still $5.8 million left from the money earmarked in 2005 by the late District 5 U.S. Representative Paul Gillmor for federal transportation funds for Fostoria.
Mayor John Davoli said the fund no longer totaled $7 million because when the federal government goes over the budget, they can pull that money if it is not being used. Councilman Paul Feasel asked if the money might decrease again before getting a chance to use it and Dysard said that was a strong possibility.
Dysard said with that money, the remaining cost would still total $4.5 million. The railroad has agreed to pay 5 percent of the total cost and the city has agreed to pay the same, which would equal $550,000. The Rail Development Commission may also yield $500,000.
The $3 million gap would still be too much for ODOT to fund, however, and Dysard said if the city could come up with another $1 million on top of the $550,000, he would go with a city representative to Columbus to submit a proposal for $2 million.
Council President Joe Droll said the loop road would be good for the economy, but it would be very difficult to find the money Dysard proposed come from the city.
"I'm disappointed, obviously, but I guess with the state of the economy, it's not surprising. I fully understand," Droll said regarding the roadblock to the project.
Dysard urged Council to consider looking at options such as grants and other funding for the approximately $1.5 million.
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Ph: (419) 435-6641 • Fax: (419) 435-9073
113 E. Center St. • P.O. Box 947
Fostoria, OH 44830
The Findlay Publishing Company
P.O. Box 609
Findlay, OH 45839-0609
Phone: (419) 422-5151
www.findlaypublishing.com
Please read our privacy guidelines
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