Ortonville- Repairs to sidewalks around the village will have to wait until the council redetermines which ones need to be replaced and bids are taken for a second time.
‘I think a portion of the sidewalks will be done by the end of October,? said Village Manager Ed Coy.
The council voted 5-0 at their Aug. 13 meeting to nullify the bid they had accepted from Bory, Inc. in July to replace about 17,000 square feet of sidewalks at a cost of $48,484. The decision came after the local company reviewed sidewalks in the village and found more work that needed to be done, raising the price $21,000 above the original bid.
The council originally determined what work needed to be done by having council members go over all the sidewalks in the village and mark portions they felt needed to be replaced. Councilmembers rated sidewalks on a scale of zero to five, with five being the worst (completely destroyed or fragmented). Sidewalks that received a five rating would be replaced, as well as sidewalks receiving a four rating (four or more cracks through the slab and/or shifted 1″ or more) and three rating (one to three large cracks through the slab and/or slab shifted 1/2″ to 1″).
However, council members conceded at the meeting that they are not concrete experts and also had differences of opinions over ratings.
Village Manager Ed Coy said the council plans to consult with Rowe, Engineering to see what it will cost to have someone tell them what needs to be replaced and then will rebid the project.