When federal funds are used in a roadway project, even if that project has been initiated by a local government, the Ohio Department of Transportation is to oversee the work.

“Any job we do on the state-federal system, any job we are going to participate in with a local entity that has received federal funding, we have oversight and do it to the guidelines that are set forth by federal law,” Kathleen Fuller, public information officer for ODOT District 9, said.

On Monday during a tour of Lawrence County, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-6) met with Lawrence County Engineer Doug Cade where the engineer expressed his dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the procedure to get projects designed and constructed.

Cade used as an example the ongoing bridge replacement project on County Road 22, which the county initiated and received federal funds to cover 80 percent of the construction costs. It is a project that Cade said has taken eight years to complete because of what he calls the “red tape” involved in getting the job off the ground.

The project will elevate the bridge above an area that frequently floods and closes off that part of the road. For it the county received a federal grant of $705,440 that only could be used for construction. Design costs were the county’s responsibility.

Among the issues Cade raised was the method of acquiring a parcel of land needed for the project where he said $8,300 was spent for real estate appraisal, title searches and other acquisition requirements for a piece of land appraised at $600.

Fuller said to acquire that parcel, on top of the $1,000 purchase price, $1,000 was spent for a review consultant and $8,142 for an acquisition consultant. However, Fuller said the county engineer’s office was only responsible for $1,800 of that. The remainder came from federal highway funds.

“I didn’t say I paid that,” Cade said. “That was what was spent on it. Spending $9,000 to buy a $600 piece of property, regardless of where the money comes from it is still taxpayers dollars.”

Cade said when the property owner wanted $1,000 for the land, he was told by ODOT to take the matter to court.

However Fuller said taking the acquisition process to court only came about after appraisers were unable to negotiate with the property owner.

“There is a lot more in between that. Appraisers attempted to contact the property owners, but there was no response,” she said. “Offers were made, no response. They were left with the option of going to court and let the court decide the amount. If no one responds to us, that is one of the options.”

Before that option was fully explored, ODOT and the property owner reached an agreement of $1,000.

“We didn’t want to go to court,” she said. “The property owner doesn’t respond to a certified letter, doesn’t respond to an offer. We can’t drop a check in the mail. We have to have them come to the table.”

Fuller said the bridge project was begun by former County Engineer David Lynd in 2006 with the first set of design plans submitted in 2010.

“We go over a review with the design consultant, go back and forth, sent them back with comments,” she said. “We go through the real estate and environmental processes. Start to finish through the planning phase, all through to construction. Why it takes so long, we have processes and policies by which we are governed, all in accordance with state and federal law. Some projects can move more quickly than others.

“If it is a standard paving job, we are not acquiring any real estate, it can move forward more quickly. We have to sign off on the plans. It is a very time consuming process. We understand the red tape. We are not here to create more red tape.”

Cade said he appreciates the regulations ODOT is required to follow.

“That was the point of meeting with (Rep. Bill) Johnson,” he said. “We need a better way to bring these project about, to not take seven years from when we initially get funding to actual construction because of red tape and federal rules.

“I am not saying it is District 9’s fault. It is the red tape process. The philosophy, the red tape we have on a small project that we are spending so much money on the administrative side of things we are not actually spending money to move dirt and construct the projects.”