Trustees expected to award contracts

Both phases include berm and drainage work as well as paving.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- Trustees are expected to meet in special session soon to award contracts for Phases 1 and 2 of paving, berm work and drainage improvements projects on Niles-Carver Road.
Township Administrator David Pugh said Tuesday that he and ms Consulting's engineer Gary Diorio have to meet to see if there is anything they want to trim from either project before contracts can be awarded.
The two projects were bid together. Phase 1 is to be financed with an interest-free state loan for an expected project cost of $157,000, to be repaid in 10 years. Trustee John Vogel told trustees and residents that bids on that portion of the project have come in $10,000 more than estimates.
The work will be on a section of Niles-Carver Road from Ohltown-Girard Road north to Salt Springs Road.
Phase 2, to be paid for with a $180,000 state grant and $55,000 in local matching funds, will be from Salt Springs Road to the Niles city limits.
Although it was believed that 15-inch pipe was going to be used on the projects, trustees and Pugh said that 12-inch pipe, which is already in place in some portions of the road, will be used.
What some homeowners want
Pugh explained that the trustees are responding to residents' complaints with the piping plans. The homeowners have asked that water that has gone south for 30 years be re-routed and turned north.
Homeowner John Budrevich said water always stands in the ravine next to his property, adding that if he smells household sewage on his yard after the project, "It is going to cost taxpayers a whole lot of money."
The largest amount of piping for the Phase 1 project is expected to be on the Budrevich property and on the property of Trustee James Stoddard, across the street.
Pugh added that there will be a lot of piping in front of Seaborn Elementary, which will solve some flooding in the side of the front yard, which is also affecting neighboring residences.
Pugh added that some of the work in Phase 2 will require a change order to deal with cable that is in ditches, and interferes with the township's ability to clean the ditches.
Although Vogel contended there have been changes weekly and biweekly on the project, Pugh disagreed.
Trustees have changed their next regular meeting to 7 p.m Nov. 15 instead of Nov. 8, which is Election Day.