By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
CONNEAUT — In a preliminary experiment, asphalt grindings so far have failed to impress as a road repair material, City Council was told at Monday’s work session.
While the one method didn’t work, city street crews are trying other options to see whether the tons and tons of discarded grindings can help stabilize secondary roads, said Bob Mannion, Public Service Department director. Mannion told council street crews have begun using some of the smaller grindings in repair projects, mixing them with other material. One batch was spread as an experiment on a stretch of Underridge Road, he said. So far, the sample hasn’t yielded results, Mannion said.
“It hasn’t proven itself to me yet,” he told council. “I hope that it works.”
The city is trying a variety of other grindings/ material combinations to find the one that provides the best results, Mannion said.
“We’re trying,” he said.
The grindings, a by-product of road resurfacing projects, have sat untouched for years. Some councilmen, believing they have value, have urged they be incorporated into the city’s road maintenance program.
The city is asking the permission of the Ohio Department of Development to take $100,000 from its Revolving Loan Fund for secondary road repairs. Some of the money would be used to pulverize the grindings into small bits.
In other business, council:
n Authorized the Conneaut Tree Commission to host Ohio’s 2011 Tree City award ceremony;
n Will consider at next week’s regular meeting a special events application that would allow the Kelly Miller Circus to pitch its big tent at Lakeview Park on July 24. The event will be sponsored by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church;
n Agreed to consider legislation next week that would accept a donation of land within the Marine Memorial Park at Day Street and Park Avenue. The land is owned by the Port Conneaut Federal Credit Union; and
n Will study pending legislation rescinding a no-parking regulation on Fairview Drive. Research showed the street is actually a private drive, and so the city has no authority to regulate traffic on the thoroughfare, said Public Safety Director Jon Arcaro.
