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Using Utility Project Funding to Improve More Than the Just the Pipes Webinar

Wednesday, January 9th –  1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

How the City of Newark leveraged a sewer separation project to revitalize their downtown. Faced with US EPA mandates to separate its combined sewer system and wanting to improve the look and feel of the historic Downtown square, the City of Newark was able to put together financing to not only improve failing infrastructure but revitalize the square as well.

Speaker: Roger Loomis

Water Administrator City of Newark, Division of Water and Wastewater
Total of 41 years of experience at various water and wastewater facilities working in all facets of the water and wastewater utility business. B.S. Business Administration, Human Resources from The Ohio State University, A.A.S. Turfgrass Management from Agricultural Technical Institute of Wooster, Class III Water Supply Certification, and Class IV Wastewater Treatment Certification.

This webinar is a benefit of Heritage Ohio membership, to become a member click HERE 

Heritage Ohio Members, register for the webinar click HERE 

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What I Learned About Streetscape Construction Projects

Last week I spent an afternoon with the City of Painesville Economic Development Director and the Downtown Painesville Organization Executive Director. We were out meeting with business owners to discuss the upcoming streetscape construction project scheduled for this summer.
I learned a great deal regarding streetscape projects and what it takes to prepare for a project. It seems the main theme of the day was communication. The Painesville representatives have already done a great job of communicating the details of the project with the business owners. Projects like this are enormous undertakings and have so many moving parts that they can be hard to keep under control. While city leaders and downtown folks are typically very excited about these projects, they can be very daunting for business owners and it is imperative that they are kept in the loop. In Painesville, the business owners were contacted early regarding the project and given some rough ideas what to expect. When plans were complete, business owners were visited and construction plans were reviewed in person. This gave the business owners a chance to understand the process and how it would impact them, it also gave the city and downtown representative a chance to hear property owners concerns and address any questions. This also gives the project leaders ample time to make adjustments to suit the business owners and address concerns.
Business owners were informed when the construction would take place and how it would impact them. These impacts included reduced parking,  reduced store visibility, increased noise and dust and reduced customer access. By better understand when and what was taking place, business owners are better able to prepare. Preparation most often included communication with customers to make them aware of the impending construction and let them know the store would be open, or in some instances have them enter the store from the rear. Some business owners were also making plans for temporary signage, changes in lighting or valet parking.
We also discussed the importance of finding the right contractor for the project. There are plenty of horror stories from other towns where a contractor was not sensitive to the needs of business owners and communicated poorly. In one of the worst cases, this situation lead to business owners suing the city over lost revenue during construction.  Finding a contractor that has experience with streetscape construction is a must. This contractor must be willing to do the project in phases and try to keep the impact on business owners to a minimum. The contractor must also be willing to communicate on nearly a daily basis to keep everyone informed on the progress of the project.
Streetscape projects can and should be a tremendous benefit for a downtown or commercial business district, but if mismanaged, can be a potential debacle. I was very appreciative of the time I spent with Jen Reed and Cathy Bieterman of Painesville. I learned a great deal about what it takes to prepare for a streetscape project and feel confident that Painesville’s project will run smoothly. As always with Main Street Communities, advice and suggestions were shared from communities that have already been through the process and Painesville will share their experience with cities going through the process down the road.