Aurora Park Reopening Slips to Late October as Council Advances Aquarium Demolition

Aurora City Council packed a wide range of business into its September 14 Committee of the Whole and regular meeting, from a construction update on the new Aurora Park at Geauga Lake to a five year trash contract that drew complaints about missed pickups. Here is a full rundown of what happened. Aquarium Demolition Approved As Park Opening Slips To Late October Council approved a $480,000 contract with C&J Contractors Inc to demolish the old aquarium building at Aurora Park at Geauga Lake. Public Services Director Harry Stark told council that divers found roughly 50 rusted iron and metal pylons holding up the structure, which sits over water, and said there is no way to fix them without removing the building. The project needed a three month Army Corps of Engineers approval before the city could move forward, and a demolition permit from Bainbridge Township is still needed. Stark said the goal is to finish the work by the end of the year. Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin said the city measured and documented the aquarium's design in case it can be rebuilt on land later. She also explained the urgency, saying the empty building "is going to be an attractive nuisance and we don't want people going into it" once the park opens. Council member Ralph Ware cast the lone No vote on the contract; every other member voted yes. The mayor also gave an updated timeline for the broader park project, saying the opening will be pushed to late October because of rain and long lead times on delivered materials. She said paving moved quickly once weather allowed, more than 40 workers have been on site daily, and she still hopes to have a rental kayak stand ready. The park entrance sign has finished construction and will be installed soon. Lift Station Upgrade Will Save City Nearly $750,000 Council approved the $148,907.13 purchase of 19 air release valves from Core and Main for the Marketplace lift station project. Stark said an outside contractor estimate for supplies and labor came in around $900,000, but city staff will do the installation work themselves after months of planning. The project will switch the lift station from a six inch to a ten inch force main that already runs three miles to the central wastewater plant. Stark expects the work to take six to seven months. A separate change order with Worth's Geotechnical Engineering, not to exceed $25,000, will fund additional soil testing at the same park site through the end of December. Hartman Park Drainage Project Also Moving Forward Council authorized a $33,700 contract with Golf Preservations Inc to install 4,400 linear feet of drainage pipe on a 50,000 square foot multi purpose field at Hartman Park, creating what Parks and Recreation Director Laura Holman called a safer playing surface. Work could begin as soon as mid October and should take about a week to complete once it starts. Fall soccer use of the field will not be affected, according to Holman. City Adds Land Near Geauga Lake Through Purchase And Donation Two land items moved forward tied to the Geauga Lake area. Council approved the $80,000 purchase of two vacant lots on Fairview Avenue, plus up to $5,000 in closing costs, from a local property owner; the land will support future connectivity to the park. Separately, council voted to accept three vacant, landlocked lots on Dora Lane, donated by the heirs of a longtime Geauga Lake area property owner for $1 plus up to $1,000 in closing costs. Law Director Dean DePiero said the city plans to use the parcels for storm water control. New Trash Contract Advances Despite Complaints About Missed Pickups Council gave first reading approval to a new five year contract with Rumpke of Ohio to handle citywide trash and recycling collection from 2027 through 2031. The city received two bids and picked Rumpke as the lowest and best offer. Several council members used the discussion to raise service complaints. One member described repeated missed pickups across entire streets and subdivisions, while another said a truck left half emptied barrels behind. Not every account was negative: one member praised the reliability of pickup times in his ward. Joe Shaftall, Rumpke's municipal sales specialist for the Cleveland region, told council the company aims to return to a missed pickup within 24 hours of being notified. City Turns To Road Salt And Brine To Prepare For Winter Council approved acceptance of a $73,623 Ohio EPA grant through the 2027 H2Ohio Rivers Initiative, which will fund equipment to let the city produce its own salt brine. A related purchase of that equipment from Brine Works, totaling $82,315.41, was also approved. Stark said the brine will help the city use less rock salt overall and reduce the runoff that has drawn increasing scrutiny from state regulators watching salt levels in local waterways. On a first reading, council also considered next season's bulk road salt purchase from Cargill Incorporated, negotiated through a