EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series looking at what Lake County communities, agencies and school districts experienced in 2025 and what is facing them in 2026. Perry Village government leaders will keep busy in 2026 tracking the status of some major road and infrastructure projects. That conclu sion could be drawn from information shared at Village Council meetings and in other settings about the community’s 2025 accomplishments and 2026 goals. Endeavors aimed at upgrading streets and infrastructure will involve both the village and Lake County. Those initiatives include: • Drainage system improvements on Center Road, Thompson Street and Green Street. The village entered into a contract with D.B. Bentley Inc. of Perry Township, authorizing the company to remove existing storm sewer pipes and structures, and install new ones on Center Road and Thompson and Green streets. Village Council, at a July 31 meeting, approved a resolution in which it accepted the contractor’s bid to perform the project at a cost not to exceed $412,700. Funding for this endeavor includes an Ohio Public Works Commission grant and loan, a financial contribution from Lake County Stormwater Department and village money. Bentley has completed the portion of this project on Center Road, between Main Street and a driveway to the soccer field that’s located a bit to the north, village Engineer Robert Parker said in a Dec. 29 email. “Where the work crossed under pavement, they have installed temporary pavement, which will be replaced with permanent pavement in the spring,” Parker said. Bentley won’t be able to start work on Thompson and Green streets until the Enbridge utility company relocates gas lines that are in an area where the new storm sewers will be installed. “The last we heard from (Enbridge) is that they would not have their contractor on site until sometime after the first of the year,” Parker said on Dec. 29. The project likely will not be completed until the spring of 2026, Parker said. • An endeavor on Green Street that involves replacing a waterline, and paving and widening the roadway. These improvements will be bid out and constructed as one project, Parker noted. “Once we have a firm schedule on the Enbridge relocation and the Thompson/Green Street storm sewer project, we can set dates and bid the Green Street project,” he said. “We anticipate advertising the project in mid-to-late January, with bids due three weeks later.” Construction could start as soon as March and be completed by mid-summer, he said. While this work is being bid as one project, costs of the initiative will be split between the Lake County Utilities Department and Perry Village. “The current engineer’s estimate for the project is $2.1 million,” Parker said. Funding will come from the Lake County Utilities Department, an OPWC grant and loan, and village government money. • Another upcoming infrastructure initiative in the village is replacement of the Manchester Road bridge. Lake County commissioners awarded a contract for the project to Union Industrial Contractors of Ashtabula Township. The company submitted a bid to perform the endeavor for $1,161,971. “This is a federal exchange, state-funded project with an 80 percent state and 20 percent local share,” Lake County Engineer Alan Exley said. “The project will include the full removal and replacement of the existing Manchester Road Bridge, along with a 5-foot sidewalk as part of the proposed structure.” Work is expected to begin this year, Exley said. Besides road and infrastructure projects, work also was done in 2025 to improve the village’s Lee Lydic Park, which is located at 3954 Call Road. Village Councilman Elias Coss talked about some of those enhancements on Nov. 12  during the Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Communities event. Initiatives at the park included: • Installation of new barbecue grills by the pavilion. “The ones that we had previously were pretty worn and needed replacement,” he said. • Girl Scout Troop 71141 built and installed a dog toy lending box for the park’s dog park. • During the summer, the village removed most of the phragmites, an invasive wetland grass, from the park’s pond. • Many trees were trimmed, and some dead trees were removed, “to make the park even more beautiful than it is,” Coss said. In October, Perry Village announced that it was chosen to receive a $55,052 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to build two pickleball courts at Lee Lydic Park. “This exciting project will enhance the amenities at Lee Lydic Park and promote community health, recreation and engagement for residents of all ages,” the village stated in a news release. Plans call for the endeavor to include fencing and seating, as well as pathways that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The funding was awarded through the ODNR NatureWorks Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to local communities for the creation and improvement of public outdoor recreation areas. Village Fiscal Officer John H. Roskos said he anticipates that construction of the pickleball courts could begin in 2026. “It’s a reimbursement grant, so we pay for the project up front and then submit the paperwork to ODNR (to be repaid),” he said. Perry Village government also is aiming to enhance communication with its residents starting this year by implementing a new text messaging program. The village will be using TextMyGov, a smart-texting system designed for local government entities. Village Council, at a meeting in late 2025, approved a resolution authorizing the mayor and fiscal officer to enter into a contract with TextMyGov, a software company from Logan, Utah. The business, which was established in 2019, serves municipalities in all 50 states and Canada. With TextMyGov, residents use the regular text-messaging app on their smartphones to interact with a participating government entity in a variety of ways. They can ask questions and get immediate responses; find links to information on a government entity’s website, and report issues or problems, which can be illustrated by uploading photos. Village residents also will have the chance to opt in to a notification group to get texts from the community’s government about things such as public meetings and events, weather alerts and road closures. A specific launch date for the program in Perry Village has not yet been announced. Coss, during the Nov. 12 chamber program, said another 2026 goal for Perry Village is to continue strong relationships with Perry Township, North Perry Village and the Perry School District. “It takes a community to be successful,” he said. ...read more read less