Perry Village Council is preparing to select a new engineering firm to assist the community’s government.
When council meets on Dec. 9, it will consider a resolution to appoint LJB Inc., of Independence, to provide the village with professional engineering services.
LJB would replace Mentor-based CT Consultants, which currently is under contract with the village.
In September, LJB Principal Rob Jurs attended a council meeting and expressed his firm’s interest in fulfilling the village’s engineering needs.
Currently, Perry Village government is simultaneously served by two engineering firms that focus on different specialties.
Under the existing format, CT Consultants performs engineering for projects involving roadways under the village’s jurisdiction, as well as stormwater, sanitary sewer or waterline improvements or construction. However, when it comes to engineering services dealing with housing developments, the village relies on Lewis Land Professionals, based in Wadsworth.
Mayor James Gessic indicated at an Oct. 14 meeting that he wants Lewis to continue offering its engineering expertise on housing developments in the community, and council raised no objections.
Councilman Mike Glover asked Gessic at the same meeting which firm he would recommend to receive a contract, and the mayor was quick to pinpoint what he viewed as one of CT’s shortcomings.
“I guess one thing, I know I’ve worked with CT quite a bit,” the mayor said. “One thing I don’t I like about them, they don’t really come out and say, ‘There’s a grant available for this, there’s (financial assistance) for that.’ You have to dig everything up and give it to them.”
When contacted by The News-Herald on Oct. 19, CT Consultants Executive Vice President Christina LeGros said in an email that the firm would step up its efforts to locate more grant funding for Perry Village.
“Funding infrastructure projects is definitely a challenge and we understand the mayor’s frustration,” LeGros said. “New information on funding sources is continuously evolving; and we must do a better job communicating those opportunities to the mayor. We are committed to making that happen.”
Jurs, during his presentation at the Sept. 9 council meeting, said he typically tries to hold a workshop or take a driving tour each December with government legislators and administrators in the communities that LJB serves. By doing this, he’s able to get a handle on projects that would require engineering assistance.
“That’s the opportunity to put together the wish list, the five-year capital-improvement plan,” Jurs said. “And that way it’s on our radar and we’re proactively looking for the grants, the funding options.”
Although council members agreed that they got a favorable first impression of LJB, the panel wasn’t ready on Oct. 14 to pass a resolution on an emergency basis to award a contract to the engineering firm. Instead, council indicated its desire to check on LJB’s performance through references that Jurs provided.
The resolution to award an engineering services contract to either LJB or CT Consultants came up for a second reading at the Nov. 22 council meeting. Gessic gave council members another opportunity to state which firm they preferred.
LJB’s promise to ambitiously scout out grants that could benefit Perry Village resonated with Councilman Rick Walker.
“Personally, I think we should go with LJB because of the grant possibilities,” he said.
Glover also said he was impressed with the approach that LJB takes in serving governmental clients.
However, because two of six council members were absent from the November meeting, a contract couldn’t be approved. Perry Village Council rules require at least five votes in favor of suspending the three-reading requirement for legislation, so a measure can be passed immediately on an emergency basis.
LJB Inc. is not a stranger to the Perry area. The firm also provides engineering services for North Perry Village.
