The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Officials consider paying Mapleview Ditch fees
Vermilion is considering paying off a large chunk of Mapleview Ditch project costs that originally would have fallen on the residents who live along the ditch.
Mayor Jim Forthofer said during a March 8 City Council Finance Committee meeting that the city recently received a letter from the Lorain County Stormwater Management District that the city owes $10,000 for the project, with about $8,122 for construction assessments for property owners and $1,877 for maintenance assessment over the next 22 years.
Don Romancak, assistant director for the stormwater district, said during the meeting that although the project mainly impacted Brownhelm Township residents, some Vermilion residents also benefited.
“They have not been suffering much in the way of flooding,” Romancak said. “With the improved ditch, the water’s flowing much better ... they do not need to worry about their backyards being flooded.”
The county worked to stabilize steep slopes that were contributing to flooding issues, as well as address erosion in the area, place riprap rocks around buildings that were erected in the drainage easement and worked with residents to relocate fences and sheds, he said.
Residents along Mapleview Drive will see a one-year maintenance fee for the ditch on their property tax bill this year, Romancak said.
“Within the Lorain County Stormwater Management District, none of our residents paid for ongoing maintenance, as they’re charged a stormwater fee and the district uses a portion of that fee to maintain the ditches that are under maintenance,” he said.
Since the city of Vermilion is not part of the district, the county cannot extend the courtesy of paying those fees, Romancak said.
Fees per resident depend on the number of acres benefited from the project, ranging from a tenth of an acre to 1.14 acres, he said.
If residents were made to pay for construction fees, the largest benefiter from the project would owe an upfront cost of $2,500, with about $25.70 a year in maintenance fees for over two decades.
The smallest benefiters would pay an upfront construction fee of a little less than $250, with about $2.50 a year in maintenance, officials said.
However, Romancak said the city can choose how much, if any, of these costs it would like to pay on behalf of residents.
Council members said they are willing to look into having the construction costs covered by the city.
Where the funds will come from in the city budget will be up to the mayor and finance director, who will return to council in the next month with a recommendation, he said.
The Women in Transition program at Cuyahoga Community College announced it is launching spring sessions of online classes to empower women in their pursuit of education, training and a career.
The six-week program begins the last week of March, with online classes held three days a week, according to a news release. One course option runs 10 a.m. to noon Mondays through Wednesdays; two others run Tuesdays through Thursdays, with morning (10 a.m. to noon) and evening (6 to 8 p.m.) classes available.
Participants build confidence and skills through classes on personal development, career exploration and computer literacy, the release stated. The course is designed to assist women in transitional periods of their lives, such as a career change or return to the workforce.
The noncredit program is free and open to the public. Visit tri-c.edu/women-intransition to register for an upcoming course or learn more about the program.
Tri-C’s Women in Transition debuted in 1978 and has contributed to thousands of personal success stories across Northeast Ohio over the past four decades, the release stated.
Women in Transition opted to hold its spring sessions online given uncertainties created by the COVID-19 outbreak. The program also took place virtually last summer and fall as part of the college’s efforts to limit the spread of the virus, the release stated.