Blue paint marking underground utilities herald the start of Port Clinton’s infrastructure project. (Photo by Mayor Mike Snider)

Editor’s note: Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snider has graciously agreed to write a regular column for The Beacon entitled, “Mayor Mike’s Memos.” Mayor Snider writes in the same fun, colorful conversational voice his constituents know so well. His column will keep Beacon readers informed about important city updates and events, and it will give amusing glimpses into the daily life of a lakeshore mayor. Today’s column is the second installment of Mayor Mike’s Memos.

While contemplating a run for mayor in February of 2018, I met with the then-juniors at Port Clinton High School and about 200 adults.  I handed the individuals in each group a list of 13 issues facing the City of Port Clinton and asked them to pick, in order, their top five.  Both groups, in a slightly different order, came up with the same five, with roads and infrastructure being #1 on both lists – by a wide margin.

Although recent city administrations had taken steps, as they could, to update our aging infrastructure, there had been no true means of taking the giant leap necessary.

Fast forward to April 11, 2019. Two days prior, I was appointed to fill the vacated term of my mayoral predecessor.  On that April morning, representatives from Poggemeyer Design Group (now Kleinfelder), then-Safety-Service Director Olen Martin and I talked about the idea of a comprehensive infrastructure project.  We left that meeting with a basic outline for a combo road and water/sewer line project.  A few weeks later, the concept was pitched to city supervisors and members of council in a small group format. To my surprise, no one said we were crazy.

We then pitched the concept to a small group of citizens, then another group and another and another.  At no point did anyone say we were on the wrong track.  As a matter of fact, the exact opposite happened.  “Just do it” was the phrase repeated in every discussion.

A few inconveniences, like the temporary loss of parking spaces, are a small price to pay for the start of Port Clinton’s long-awaited infrastructure project. (Photo by Mayor Mike Snider)

There are two very important items needed to secure outside dollars for any public project – a plan (which we now had) and local funds.  Yes, it seems strange that we need money to find more money – but that’s how the system works.  No one is going to provide loans or grants unless the city can show a local interest in the project.  So that’s what we did.  City council unanimously enacted an infrastructure fee on the monthly utility bill and the voters overwhelming approved a road levy.  We now had our plan and funds.

Dozens of federal, state and private institutions were contacted; most were eager to hear our story.

Then Covid hit and everything ground to a halt for months.  Calls went unanswered as no one was working in the office.  Inflation and increasing interest rates forced us to look even deeper for funds.  Each funding opportunity came with a list of rules associated with the use of the funds … and that meant even more delay.

Today, what was one project (named FLIP) has been subdivided in accordance with funding sources into nine projects. Two of those projects, Lakeshore Drive Crosswalk & Sidewalk and Plan A/Phase One Paving, have been given the green light to proceed.

As I’m writing this, materials are being ordered, equipment is being mustered and, by the time this goes to print, road scrapers, asphalt trucks and other construction related equipment will be waking us up with their backup beepers, diesel engines and other sounds of progress … I CAN’T WAIT!!!

This is just the beginning. Remember, there are still seven of the nine components of this project that still need to be bid.  That process will continue for at least two years.  Additionally, FLIP is only $34 million; the needs of the city’s infrastructure is estimated at the other side of $150 million. Yes, it’s taken us 1902 days to get shovels in the ground, and they are going to be moving for many years to come.