By Karen Cornelius
Main Street from Liberty Avenue to Huron Street will soon be having some improvements. On the eastside of Main, a 12-inch watermain will be installed as an improvement with the old line on the westside of Main abandoned. Once this is done, work will begin on the “Main Street Green Infrastructure Enhancements Project” on the westside of Main to place pervious pavement to assist the stormwater drainage flowing to Lake Erie.
City engineer Lynn Miggins addressed city council on Monday night, July 17, about this work on Main Street. She said there was only one bid from Abraham/Miller Excavating, LLC of Vermilion with a bid total of $371,460.08. The bid had two parts to include both the Green Infrastructure Enhancements and Water Main Improvements. She said the water main project was a priority and related to the pervious pavement on the westside. Miggins said they didn’t want to do the pervious drainage project first in case there would be a break before installing a new water main.
The city engineer explained of the total costs, $179,248.03 is attributable to the Green Infrastructure Enhancements project, and should be paid out of the Stormwater Fund. The amount of $192,212.05 is attributable to the Water Main Improvements Project and should be paid out of the Water Department Funds. When there is a successful completion of the Green Infrastructure Enhancements, the city will receive a reimbursement of $175,000 from the EPA Great Lakes Grant associated with this project. The $175,000 will go back to the Stormwater Fund.
Miggins stated that there are no findings for recovery from this firm and she would recommend Abraham/Miller to receive the award. She also asked that council add an ordinance to the agenda to hire the contractor because the grant completion date is December 31, 2017. She said even though there is only one bid, it is 1.4 percent under the engineering estimate so it is within the price the city expected to pay.
Councilwoman Barb Brady asked Miggins when the Main Street work would start. Miggins responded they would have to work around the Woollybear Festival in September and all the other planned activities so she was not sure, but would email council on a date.
Council-at-large Monica Stark asked the city engineer when work on Sailorway Drive would start. Miggins answered that milling would begin on Thursday, July 20. The following week would be the concrete repairs and then the following week they would place asphalt. Councilman Fred Ostrander stated that about ten years ago they cut pieces out of the street to replace giving it a checkerboard look so he wished the project good luck. Miggins said they had a small amount for full-depth replacement, but if they ran into problems she would come back to council.
Councilman Brian Holmes asked what the Vermilion Local Schools wanted to do about the traffic light at Douglas and Sailorway. Service director Tony Valerius understood it would go back up, but would need to be controlled better.
Under new business, council passed a motion to add an ordinance to the agenda that night to enter into a contract with Abraham/Miller Excavating for $371,460.08. The first reading was suspended and the ordinance was adopted by emergency with an unanimous 7-0 vote.
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