A Project for Citizen Participation in Planning the Future of Akron

Workgroup on Infrastructure

1. The infrastructure was defined by our workgroup as:

   1. Roads and Bridges
   2. Water – Sewer
   3. Trash – Landfills
   4. Electric – Gas – Steam (Public Utilities)

   5. Communications – Telecommunications

2. Summary of existing conditions/problems/needs

   1. Roads and Bridges

      1. One need only drive around the City of Akron to experience the existing problems and/or the conditions of our roads.
      2. Lack of permanent plan for resurfacing and maintenance.
      3. Need for permanent task force to assure money and resources available to facilitate scheduled maintenance an resurfacing.
      4. Need for development of new technologies.

      5. Need to assure dependable and predictable annual funding.

   2. Water and Sewer

      1. Need for long term vision and planning, over quick fixes.
      2. Need for modernization of current plants and equipment and automations.
      3. Need for conservation.
      4. Need for additional reservoir(s).

      5. Need to coordinate regulatory requirements with funding.

   3. Trash – Landfill

      1. Need to protect environment.

      2. Promote new technologies.

   4. Electric – Gas – Steam

      1. Need for competition between (among) utilities.
      2. Need for conservation.
      3. Need for local watchdog.
      4. Need to explore long term viability of steam to downtown area.

      5. Need for alternative supplies for energy.

   5. Communications – Telecommunications

      1. Need for master plan for modernization of downtown and enterprise areas.
      2. Need for regulation and standardization of requirements for fiber optics and digital lines.
      3. Need for city department to assist in planning and cooperation with private industry to provide technology.

      4. Need for user-friendly city for business and industry.

3. Goals, Generally

   1. The City of Akron must provide the highest standard of living possible to its citizens and future generations.
   2. The City of Akron must provide an environment in which the people live safely and compatibly with industry and business.
   3. The city must recognize that its infrastructure is generally outdated and must be modernized.
   4. The city must make prudent investments in its infrastructure NOW, so that future generations are not overly burdened with debt and/or a crumbling infrastructure.

   5. The City of Akron needs industry to use and support its infrastructure.

4. Strategies

   1. The elected officials of our city and region must become knowledgeable about the extent and seriousness of the immediate and long term needs of the city and region with regard to the infrastructure.
   2. The leadership in our communities must assist in the education of the populous to facilitate the understanding of the immediacy of the need for action.
   3. Recognizing that the City of Akron cannot do it alone, the political entities (cities, counties, townships) in our region must act together to seek state and federal money to assist in the modernization and preservation of our infrastructure, roads, and waterways.
   4. The City of Akron must provide permanent methods of funding not dependent on changing political winds or administration.
   5. The City of Akron should encourage the use of outside experts to review public expenditures and long term planning.
   6. We must explore the feasibility of increasing user rates for capital investments.

   7. We must explore changes in the City Charter with regard to operating and capital budget and for permanent types of funding/taxes.

5. Resources

   1. Assessments for maintenance and improvements of streets.
   2. Funding from surrounding communities, Summit County, and the State of Ohio.
   3. Licensing of building trades and service technicians.
   4. Utilize our natural gas supply.
   5. Methane gas produced at Hardy Road Landfill.
   6. Utilize Gorge Dam for a new city-owned power station.

   7. Investigate feasibility of acquisition of Perry Nuclear Plant water intake system.