Plain City Council members accepted multiple bids Monday evening for paving projects throughout the village.
Council first accepted a bid from R.B. Jergens Contractors, Inc., a Montgomery County construction company, to complete the S. Chillicothe Street Multi-Use Trail Connector Project.
The company’s low bid was accepted at $152,035.41.
A document from Village Administrator Nathan Cahall indicated the bid is “well below the engineer’s estimate for the project.” The 2020 capital improvements budget designated $175,000 for the project.
“We were pleasantly surprised by the results,” after opening the bid last week, he said.
Cahall previously said the project will create a planned pathway connector between the elementary school and the Darby Fields residential development.
He said the sidewalk ends short of the drainage system south of the elementary school, but will be extended through the connector project.
During the July 13 council meeting, Cahall specified that M-I Homes, the developer of Darby Fields, already paid for the project and the funding was placed in escrow.
He said typically property developers will pay for sidewalk connection projects through impact fees and the village will “fill in the blanks,” if necessary.
At that meeting, council also accepted an easement from Jonathan Alder Local Schools to facilitate the construction of a planned pathway connector.
Cahall said the village paid a “nominal $1” but it was essentially a donation of the easement from the school district.
Council also accepted a bid for the village-wide repaving program.
Cahall said the village previously opened a bid last month for the annual repaving project, but decided to re-bid “when we got not-so-great numbers.”
He said the second time worked in the village’s favor, as it received a bid that “more closely matches the engineer’s estimate” and the budget.
Council awarded the contract to Columbus Asphalt and Paving for $189,701.50. The 2020 capital improvements budget set aside $200,000 for repaving this year.
Council authorized Cahall to enter the budget with a 110% spending limit of the bid amount, which he said would act as a contingency for any change orders.
Cahall said he and village staff are still looking to see whether an additional, alternate street can be added into the contract.
In other business:
– Council discussed an ordinance that would amend the posting locations of village ordinances, resolutions and notices.
With the closure of Security National Bank at the end of September, Cahall said the village would need an alternate location for posting village documents.
The ordinance proposed replacing Security National Bank with Middlefield Banking Company, the village’s new banking service provider. It would also replace the address of the old administrative building with the new location.
Council member Darren Lee asked if the locations needed to be specified, or if there was a way to “make it so we don’t have to keep updating legislation,” if physical locations close or change.
Village Solicitor Paul Lafayette said he believes the Ohio Revised Code requires the specific locations are designated in a village ordinance. However, he said he would do further research to see if there was a way to streamline it.
Council heard the first reading of the proposed ordinance, but agreed to consider amending it on a second reading if Lafayette had any updates at the next meeting.
– Council heard the first reading of consent legislation from the Ohio Department of Transportation regarding a guardrail replacement project on U.S. 42.
Cahall said “the village is not participating in the project financially or otherwise.” The legislation would only give ODOT the village’s permission to complete projects in its jurisdiction.
– Council set a public hearing for Oct. 12 regarding a resolution which would amend permitted uses in the B-3 Central Business District to add physical fitness facilities as a permitted use.
Lee, also a member of the planning and zoning commission, said the commission discussed amending permitted uses and “it seems to be a use that fits with that area.”