South Cuyahoga News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Max Miller (OH-07) secured more than $17 million for projects important to Northeast Ohio. Last week, the House of Representatives voted to pass a package of six appropriations bills, which included funding for the projects. Congressman Miller worked alongside local officials and stakeholders over the past year to identify projects for which resources were most needed. These projects will improve public safety, critical infrastructure, workforce development, and more. 

Projects Secured: 

• $2,000,000 for the Cuyahoga County County-Wide 9-1-1 System Upgrade 
• $1,250,000 for the City of Middleburg Heights Indian Creek/Gerald Sanitary Relief
• $866,000 for the City of Bay Village Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Elimination Project
• $3,040,000 for the City of Olmsted Falls Columbia Road Reconstruction
• $100,000 for the Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority The Lafayette Energy Efficiency Design and Operating Systems
• $1,100,000 for the Ohio Aerospace Institute Aviation Tech Workforce Development Program
• $1,250,000 for the City of North Olmsted Clague Road Sanitary Force Main Project
• $1,152,000 for the City of Fairview Park Regional Equalization Facility Program   
• $1,000,000 for the Village of Seville Wastewater Treatment Program Expansion
• $500,000 for the Medina County Sheriff’s Department Mobile Command Unit
• $2,000,000 for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) Stormwater Project   
• $1,250,000 for the City of Parma Craigleigh Drive Septic Abatement Project              
• $1,000,000 for the City of Rocky River Wooster/Rockcliff Sewer Rehabilitation    
• $529,000 for the City of Brooklyn Police Department New Police Vehicles            
• $150,000 for the Sharon Township Sharon Township Center Circle Crosswalk Signalization    

Strong Support for Community Projects in Northeast Ohio: 

“Congressman Miller has improved the public safety of all Cuyahoga County residents with his support of the Cuyahoga County-wide 911 System Upgrade project. New technology will be deployed to advance our emergency dispatch systems for more seamless coordination across communities. We will be better able to pinpoint where help is needed and send it immediately,” said Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County Executive. 

“Over the past several years, the city of Middleburg Heights has developed a comprehensive approach to managing flooding in the community.  The Indian Creek/Gerald area was identified as one of our worst flooding challenges in the city. The solution required a very costly project in order to provide relief to the nearly 400 homes impacted by flooding. The city has been able to assemble multiple funding sources and ultimately the $1.25 million that has been appropriated in the spending bill will be the catalyst to bring this project to fruition. I want to thank Congressman Miller for his hard work and assistance in making this much needed flooding relief project a reality,” said Matt Castelli, Mayor of Middleburg Heights.  

“These funds are essential for Bay Village’s commitment to achieving full compliance with the Clean Water Act of 1972. Currently, the city has two remaining sanitary sewer overflows on Lake Road, bordering Lake Erie. This project represents the final step in achieving complete Clean Water Act compliance. The allocated funds will support the engineering and design of an equalization tank, necessary sewer improvements, plan submission to the Ohio EPA, and the preparation of vital bid documents. This funding signifies a crucial step forward in protecting the health of our community and the beautiful Lake Erie. It demonstrates a commitment to responsible environmental stewardship and paves the way for a cleaner future for Bay Village,” said Paul Koomar, Mayor of Bay Village. 

“This Olmsted Falls Columbia Road Reconstruction Project is a beneficial use of taxpayer dollars because it will improve State Route 252 which is used by thousands of motorists every day, and this project will improve the infrastructure of our city. As mayor of the City of Olmsted Falls, I support this project because it will improve our main thoroughfare, and help to improve the safety of our residents, guests, and commuters. This is a wise expenditure of taxpayer dollars because there is an infrastructure need for the Columbia Road project. Columbia Road is our major north- south connection running the length of the city. Columbia Road is part of State Route 252 connecting Cuyahoga, Lorain, and Medina counties. Residents of many different counties use this road. The 2016 Master Plan stated that on Columbia Road, south of Bagley, turn lanes are necessary. This project will allow us to widen the road and construct new turning lanes which will improve public safety. Widening the street will also provide safe accessibility for emergency vehicles. In conclusion, this project will allow us to incorporate sidewalks to promote pedestrian safety and possible bikeways, as well as add green features as part of the reconstruction. The road widening feature will improve public safety and add aesthetic and environmental enhancements,” said James Graven, Mayor of Olmsted Falls. 

“This one-time investment by the Federal Government will assure The Lafayette will operate efficiently well into the future.  Utilizing the latest solar panel technology and geothermal heating will keep utility expenses low thereby allowing rents to remain affordable and resources to be resident-focused. Congressman Miller’s foresight into this investment emphasizes his awareness of and support for the community needs in Medina County,” said Skip Sipos, Executive Director of Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority.

“The Ohio Aerospace Institute is grateful for Congressman Miller’s continued efforts to secure critical resources for Northeast Ohio. The Ohio Aerospace Institute Aviation Tech Workforce Development Program invests in a major sector of our workforce by developing an aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) training program for high school students and adults. The workforce demand in the aviation sector is consistently growing, and this program will help to create the next generation of FAA-certified technicians. These are high-paying jobs, and so employed technicians will undoubtedly return the costs of this program to the economy many times over,” said Dr. John Sankovic, President of Ohio Aerospace Institute. 

“The City of North Olmsted expresses our sincerest gratitude to Congressman Miller for his contributions to making the City of North Olmsted a safer, stronger, and better place to live. The Clague Road Sanitary Force Main Project will enable us to update infrastructure and lessen flooding events on the east side of North Olmsted. This project will replace the sanitary sewer force main, which is over 60 years old. We want to make sure that our residents have everything they need to make their lives healthier and these major projects are critical to ensuring our residents have access to reliable infrastructure across the city,” said Nicole Dailey Jones, Mayor of North Olmsted.  

“With this funding Fairview Park can begin to expand its infrastructure so that the residents of our city can realize a higher standard of living. Adding to the capacity of our sewer system is an important goal for our residents and my administration. Thanks to Congressman Max Miller for his work and support on this project. Max has helped give the City of Fairview Park a definitive “WIN” and we look forward to working with him again,” said Bill Schneider, Mayor of Fairview Park. 

“Funding will be used to expand the community’s wastewater treatment plant to meet growing demand and increase rated capacity to 1,000,000 gallons per day. As you know, growth is occurring both inside the Village and in surrounding communities. The Village would not have been able to afford the necessary project with your advocacy and support,” said Carol Carter, Mayor of Seville. 

“These funds will allow them Medina County Sheriff’s Office to add a much-needed resource when responding to large scale emergencies.  We live in a different time, and public safety is being tasked with being prepared to respond to a multitude of different scenarios.  We appreciate the support and wisdom from Congressman Miller to see the value in this project,” said Terry Grice, Sheriff of Medina County.

“The Sewer District is very appreciative of Senator Brown and Congressman Miller for championing funding for the Baldwin Creek Dell Haven Detention Basin Project. The Sewer District’s ability to capitalize on this funding is a reflection of our strategic analysis of our region’s sewer and stormwater needs through local sewer system evaluations and stormwater master plans.  With this detailed understanding, we implement solutions to improve water quality and quality of life for those in our community,” said Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

“As Mayor, our administration has been making significant progress to eliminate septic systems which is required by Ohio EPA and reportable to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health each year. Due to the cooperative working relationship with Congressman Max Miller, our administration can continue to move forward with the $1.25 million towards Craigleigh Drive septic abatement project. This is progress through partnerships,” said Tim DeGeeter, Mayor of Parma.

Original source can be found here.