GALION — Galion City Council, on Tuesday, approved an ordinance that will permit the Safety-Service director to enter into an agreement with the GPD group (Glaus, Pyle Schomer, Burns, and DeHaven) of Akron to engineer and design a part of the road related to the Portland Way widening project.

Council voted to suspend the second and third readings of the ordinance, which will pay the GPD group no more than $899,689 for its services, which is expected from the Galion Street and Sewer funds.

“In the middle of last year, ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) awarded the city two million dollars to widen 598,” Galion Mayor Tom O’Leary said.

O’Leary added that the project will run on Ohio 598 from Carter Drive, where Arby’s sits, out to Brandt Road.

“What we did tonight was to approve the authorization to have the safety-service director enter into the engineering contract to design that widening,” O’Leary added.

O’Leary said that the project will be designed next year, and Galion will also purchase some of the lands needed to complete the project at that time.

Constructing funding will be distributed into 2021. “We don’t know if (the project) will begin in 2021 or in the second half of the fiscal year, which is 2022,” O’Leary said.

In a short council meeting, which lasted about 35 minutes, council approved:

An ordinance vacating a portion of an alley south of Harding Way West, west of Berry Drive and north of Carpenter Ave. Twelve lots will be affected in the project.

An authorization to apply for a grant from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the Department of Homeland Security.

The grant, which is for $88,000, with a local share of five percent, or $4,190, to purchase a power cot system for the department.

An authorization for the safety-service director to advertise for bids and enter into a contract with the lowest bidder for the Charles Street sanitary sewer and lift station project.

The cost of the project cannot exceed $508,440.

“The large benefit of this project to keep the Olentangy River clean,” council member Thomas Fellner said. “This is a necessary project.

An ordinance amending Ordinance 2017-66, to appropriate funds which were unappropriated from the General Security of Persons Fund and the General Government-Other Government/Contractual Services reimbursements.

The total funds to transfer adds up to $440,472.

A resolution reappointing Kris McCarthy, Michelle McCarthy and John Sipes to the Design Review Harding Way West District.

An ordinance transferring monies to different funds. The monies were already appropriated by council.

According to the ordinance, $300.000 was decreased from the GDBG fund (transportation and street improvement).

Also, $508,400 decreased from sewer fund, sewer maintenance, capital outlay and infrastructure.

One thousand dollars be transferred from the building department, contractual services to the building fund, salaries and wages.

Two thousand dollars be transferred from public health, general benefits to public health, salaries and wages.