Multi-use trail bids came in lower than expected

The lowest offer for construction on a new sidewalk in the village came in below estimates.

Now it’s up to the village to decide how it wants to approach lighting on the path.

Fort Recovery Village Council heard about bids for constructing the new multi-use trail along Ohio 49, Sharpsburg Road and Flaler Road. Council members also discussed potential plans for additional lighting on the sidewalk and nearby roads and heard about a few utility projects coming up.

The trail project is 90% funded through Ohio Department of Transportation's Systemic Safety Funding grant, with the village matching approximately $200,000. Plans are to formally award the project in March.

Bids were opened Jan. 29, with Jutte Excavating coming in lowest at $888,655.46. Village administrator Aaron Rengers noted that the offer came in at 10% below the engineer’s estimate.

“We won’t owe anything additional on it — we’ve already paid our 10% (match) for that, so assuming no change orders, we’ll probably get a little, even a refund, on that. So that’d be great.”

Relatedly, Rengers estimated adding more lighting along the trail could cost roughly $200,000, although he said he hasn’t received prices yet. In order to have lights along both sides of the street as proposed by council last month, the village would need to add 35 lights to the 11 lights included in the project. Rengers noted the lights in the project are required by Ohio Department of Transportation to be 16 feet tall, but the village’s other lights are 14 feet tall. Rengers suggested making the 16-foot-tall light poles the new standard throughout the village moving forward.

“It’s something we could look at where, if we want to do (Ohio) 119, eventually (Ohio) 49, we could replace the ones on there with 16 footers,” he said. “Again, that’s up to you guys. I think that’s the way to go. (I think it would look) just really goofy unless we just replace those 11.”

He proposed discussing the topic more thoroughly once the village receives cost estimates.

Also Monday, Rengers said the village needs to start looking into work on the wastewater pump station on the northern portion of Wayne Street.

“We’ve been having some issues with that. It’s kind of on its last leg here,” he said.

The village was quoted a cost of $500,000 for a complete rebuild on the station, although Rengers anticipates the village could work with engineers and get the cost down closer to $200,000. Rengers said he’s working to get quotes. He estimated the work could extend the pump station’s life another 50 to 75 years.

Rengers also pointed out plans to extend water lines along Ohio 119 on the east side of the village to reach Nathan and Alison Ruhenkamp’s property — it was annexed recently — and along First Street toward Cooper Farms Liquid Egg Products. The water lines extending toward the egg plant, noted Rengers, would aim to service Wabash Road and complete a water line loop in the future. Engineering costs are estimated at $18,100.

Also, council members informally voiced support in adjusting the sidewalk policy’s timeline for notifying property owners of needed repairs.

Currently, the policy requires the village to inform property owners by May 15, with work to be complete by July 31. Rengers suggested the village instead conduct inspections in the fall, seek construction costs in the winter and allow residents all of spring and summer to have the work finished.

In other business, council members Lucas Knapke, Scott Pearson, Shawn Thobe, Amy Wendel, Al Post and Greg Schmitz:

•Learned the village will need to pay $12,000 for a plan review with Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to review the water plant plans, which were recently submitted.

•Approved a resolution that allows the village administrator to live outside village limits.