By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Swanton Village Council heard updates on future construction on Hallet Avenue during its meeting last week.
Village Administrator Shannon Shulters reported bids for the initial phase of work were opened at the end of June, with Ebony Construction coming in at $860,361.15 and Miller Brothers coming in at $988,851.48. The original engineer’s estimate was $740,900.
While the bids are significantly higher than the estimate, Shulters said the Ebony Construction bid was less than 20 percent higher than the estimate, meaning it can still be awarded to them without sending the project back out to bid.
She also said they are considering removing a portion of the project involving the expansion of and addition of sidewalks to a bridge that crosses the creek by the American Legion. That portion would then become a second project, for which grant funding is available.
“That would bring us back down closer to the engineer’s estimate,” Shulters said. “Then we’d have room for contingencies, because the biggest fear was if we went this route and just said ‘yup, go ahead,’ we’d have no room for contingencies, and if something was to go wrong like we’ve seen in other projects then that would just pull straight from – we’d have to find the money somewhere.”
She said the Hallet project can be awarded at the council’s next meeting, with construction beginning either late fall or early spring. Regardless of which point it starts, Shulters said the Airport Highway work should be completed by then.
OTHER BUSINESS
The council approved a $15,000 appropriation to cover the purchase of body armor for full-time and part-time officers in the police department.
The department will be receiving $10,900 in reimbursement for the purchase through the Law Enforcement Body Armor Program run by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Its current stock of body armor will be expiring in 2025.
Fire Chief Cuyler Kepling reported his department’s new truck will be delivered in August, and that equipment for the truck has started arriving and will keep showing up for the next three to four weeks.
He also reported that interviews and assessments for the deputy fire chief position have been completed.
Police Chief John Trejo reported the number of citations has increased since the road closure at South Main Street and Airport Highway. According to Trejo, citations have been issued for stop sign violations, driving on a closed road, failure to obey a traffic control device, overweight commercial vehicle and failure to yield.
Shulters reported new desk phones have been installed throughout the village departments, and that the computers in the administrative office will be upgraded soon and a priority list created for budgeting and upgrading computers in other departments in the near future.
The council approved an easement for a residential property next to the Water Resource Reclamation Facility so the residents will still have access to the village-owned driveway that connects their property to the street.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Village Council will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, August 12 at 219 Chestnut Street.