Contract awarded for Forest Avenue project

Barbara Diamond

City Manager Ken Frank invoked a seldom-used section of the city code

Tuesday night that allowed work to begin Wednesday on the Forest

Avenue street rehabilitation.

Frank authorized a $281,935 contract because there was not a

council majority that could vote on it at the meeting. State law

barred Mayor Cheryl Kinsman and Councilman Wayne Baglin from voting

because they own property within 500 feet of the project. Councilman

Steve Dicterow, who could have voted and would have formed the

required majority with council members Toni Iseman and Elizabeth

Pearson, was absent.

It was Dicterow’s sixth absence since he was re-elected in

November 2002.

Timing was critical, Frank said.

The proposed project is tied to other projects Downtown and must

be synchronized.

Frank had recommended that the council add $16,000 to the low bid

for the installation of a brick crosswalk at Forest Avenue and

Glenneyre Street and appropriate $77,000. The appropriation brings

the total funding to $328,000, which includes a $27,000 allowance for

contingencies and $19,000 for construction surveying, support from

project engineers and technical testing.

The contract was awarded to Sequel Contractors, which had done two

previous projects for the city and last month was selected to

complete the Downtown Street Rehabilitation Project.

Included in the new contract: an asphalt overlay on Forest Avenue,

between Glenneyre Street and Broadway; concrete curb, gutter and

sidewalk replacement and landscaping improvements.

The project was separated from the rest of the Downtown street

rehab because the federal government will reimburse the city for a

percentage of the costs.