General Electric plant to be demolished

CONNEAUT — City council voted to amend demolition fees at a Tuesday meeting after a request from General Electric.

Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford said the ordinance caps the fee at $20,000 and requires bonds and general liability insurance to the benefit of the city in relation to environmental concerns after demolition at post-industrial sites.

GE sought to negotiate the cost of a demolition permit for their former plant.

Previous demolition fees were based on square footage, Sanford said.

The plant has been closed since 2008, he said.

Sanford and city leadership were concerned about possible environmental issues at the property, similar to those at the former Astatic building.

Third Ward Councilperson Oakey Emery said he would like to see GE held liable if environmental issues are found on the property.

“Just look at what they’ve done to our country, taken all their plants out of here, caused all this suffering in all the little communities,” he said.

Second Ward Councilperson Chris Castrilla thanked Sanford for his work on the issue.

There is no date for the building’s demolition yet, Sanford said.

Work on Broad Street is on schedule and budget, he said.

“CATS Construction has successfully placed the southbound lane of concrete in the last week,” Sanford said.

He said weather has been great for the project.

The intersections of Broad and State streets will be closed starting Thursday for three weeks so the contractor can replace the concrete, Sanford said. Their goal is to have traffic onto the new concrete by Nov. 18, he said.

“There will be detour routes posted,” he said. “We have had discussions with police and fire.”

Sanford said the city worked with ODOT and the contractor to permit emergency vehicles to go east on Madison Street to get to Broad Street and avoid railroad crossings.

Council approved the purchase of four cameras from Verkada for $28,691.90.

The cameras are for facial recognition, reading license plates and reverse image search.

The Ohio Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the city $103,500 for damages on South Ridge Road East in relation to the 2024 Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm, he said.

Sanford said leftover 2025 city paving funds will help fund repaving the street.

“I don’t want to do anything definitive until we have the ditching reestablished along South Ridge East,” he said. “At least I feel that would be most prudent of our investment.”

Sanford said site remediation work at the Astatic site will start Oct. 27, and end by Nov. 1.

“Contracts have been executed between the independent contractor and Growth Partnership,” he said.

Dried dredge material from Conneaut Creek will be used for the remediation, Sanford said.

“It’s good news, and it’s finally moving forward after 30 years,” he said.

Council approved an ordinance to give a temporary deferral of sanitary sewer tap-in fees for Buck’s Poultry.

Buck’s is setting up a poultry processing facility on Chamberlain Boulevard and Sanford said the company found the property did not tap into the sanitary sewer.

Sanford spoke on new state laws and bills introduced by Ohio 65th District Rep. David Thomas and how they could affect the city.

House Bill 309 would empower county budget commissions to modify levies and reduce a tax unit’s milage.

Sanford said he does not know if the bill would have an overt impact on the city.

Conneaut Finance Director John Williams said city levies are essential for operations.

“There’s no way there’s been any excess collections whatsoever,” he said.

Budget commissions are made up of the county prosecutor, auditor and treasurer.

The bill was passed by the house Oct. 8.

HB 473 would prohibit employers picking up for employees’ required pension payments.

Sanford said it could affect some city union agreements.

Council passed a resolution honoring former Conneaut firefighter John Chapin Jr.

Chapin died Oct. 2, according to his obituary.

Council Clerk Jennifer Hoover read the resolution, which honored Chapin for his years of service with Conneaut and highlighted his participation in a 2002 march in Manhattan to honor first responders lost in the 9/11 attacks.

Sanford said he requested an impact report on Auggie, a therapy dog that goes with School Resource Officer Tim Rose to the Conneaut Area City Schools and city events.

The dog has been in service to the city for a year, he said.

Sanford said he heard testimony from Rose on Auggie.

“I think it’s wonderful the impact that he’s had in a year’s time,” he said.

The former Carnegie Library will be demolished soon, Sanford said.

“That is not a designated historic landmark, and it has been vacant since 1998,” he said.

Sanford said there is not yet a date for the library’s demolition.

“I take personal umbrage to the fact that this is now an endangered site, but that is anecdotal — purely anecdotal,” he said. “What will be will be. The building has changed hands about a half dozen times, and has fallen victim to what I personally consider empty ambition. I am extremely frustrated by that.”

The former Rite Aid has been torn down, Sanford said.

“Kudos to the demo crew,” he said. “They got that down in days.”

Circle K has been interested in building a new store there.

There are demolition permits pending for two Liberty Street homes damaged in a July fire.

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