TID program paying off in Wayne County
The Daisy Way Extension project in Wooster will connect two dead-end roads by June of this year.
In a recent Wayne County Transportation Improvement District (WCTID) meeting, Wooster Director of Administration Joel Montgomery reported that $200,000 in funding was awarded to the Daisy Way Extension project by ODOT Jobs and Commerce through a local TID initiative.
“We had $250,000 already committed, and the TID awarded an additional $200,000,” Montgomery said during the meeting. “The project will be funded through the City of Wooster, TID, ODOT Jobs and Commerce, and a small number of assessments to the businesses there. The project is in the final stages of design right now, and hopefully, it will go out to bid this summer. And the plan is to have it completed later in the year.”
The Daisy Way Extension project connects Daisy Way Extension and Old Airport Road and will cost approximately $1 million to complete. The half-mile stretch of industrial-grade road will connect two dead-end routes, improve vehicle and freight access for nine businesses and 2,243 employees, improve emergency access, and support approximately $40 million in private investment, according to Montgomery.
Wayne County’s TID is a political subdivision and corporate entity organized to finance, construct, maintain, repair or operate transportation-related improvement projects. In 2015 the Ohio legislature authorized “regional transportation improvement projects” as a way to promote economic development and infrastructure improvement. Eligible projects include construction, repair, maintenance, and expansion, among others.
Talks about the formation of a local TID had been on-going since 2017. A recent change in state law resolved a concern by allowing county commissioners to sit on the Board of Trustees. Soon after her swearing-in ceremony, newly-elected Wayne County Commissioner Rebecca Foster — in conjunction with her fellow commissioners Sue Smail and Ron Amstutz, the Wayne County Engineer and City of Wooster officials — went to work establishing the TID and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board.
“I saw the need for a Transportation Improvement District to bring another source of revenue to Wayne County,” said Foster. “ODOT started the fund years ago, and only counties with a TID are eligible to apply. The Wayne County Commissioners needed to form the TID, and we reached out to the major stakeholders in our county, and they stepped up to financially invest in establishing it. The City of Wooster, City of Orrville, City of Rittman, and the county split the costs to hire a consultant to stand up the new TID Board.”
With the establishment of the WCTID, the county has the opportunity to apply to the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Office of Jobs and Commerce for funding.
“ODOT has set the 2021 pot at $4.5 million,” Foster continued. “Every county with a TID can submit projects for infrastructure improvement that will contribute to the creation of jobs, employment opportunities, and improve the economic welfare of all Wayne County residents. Wayne County TID Board can submit projects from any place in Wayne County, including our cities, villages, and townships. Each project is scored by the state and stands on its own merit. Project are eligible for 25% reimbursement up to $250,000.”
Ultimately, ODOT determines if a project qualifies for funding, and it is a competitive process, Wayne County Engineer Scott Miller explained. Miller applied for funding to help finance an Elyria Road project, but it was denied.
“We thought this would be a good TID project,” Miller said. “There are several large businesses that have trucks traveling in and out of that area, but we fell short on that application and didn’t get approved for funding. We appreciate the work of the county TID and the consideration for funding from the state.”
The project had other sources of funding, and proceeded as planned in 2019.
Dan Starcher is a public communications specialist for the Wayne County government.