Trending
LISBON -- Commissioners on Wednesday awarded the contracts for a Leetonia waterline project and a Salineville street improvement project to the low bidders.
R.T. Vernal Paving & Excavating of North Lima won the contract for the resurfacing of Washington Street from Main Street to the Brookview Apartments in Salineville with a bid of $79,927.
For the Leetonia waterline project, which involves connecting 1,600 lineal feet of the 12-inch high pressure water main at Cherry Fork Avenue to Home Street, the contract was awarded to X-Press Underground, Inc. of Petersburg for a bid of $273,519.
Commissioners opened the bids for the two projects two weeks ago, with the projects being partially funded through the county's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation.
County Port Authority Recovery Coordinator Bobby Ritchey said he was happy with the numbers, noting the low bids fell under the cost estimates of the project engineers.
For the Leetonia project, the engineering firm Howells & Baird of Salem put the estimate at $304,423. Besides the low bidder, X-Press Underground, other bidders included: Mike Pusateri Excavating, East Liverpool, $365,822; J.S. Bova Excavating, Struthers, $287,931; Utility Contracting Inc., Youngstown, $332,842; Sweet Meadow Farm Drainage, Beloit, $296,158; and SET Inc., Lowellville, $311,157.
For the Salineville Project, Dallis Dawson and Associates of East Liverpool estimated the project cost at $95,095. The low bid of $79,927 from R.T. Vernal was lower. Other bids included: Lindy Paving, New Galilee, Pa., $97,416; and Barbicas Construction, Akron, $97,706.
According to Ritchey, the CDBG funding is from the county's 2022 allocation, with $490,000 for this year's projects. Salineville's share of the cost for the road resurfacing was set at $10,164, with the rest from CDBG.
Leetonia's share of the cost for the waterline project stands at $40,000, with $135,395 coming from other sources and the rest from CDBG.
Since the bids came in under budget, Ritchey said that may reduce the committed fund amounts the two villages have to contribute.
Plans call for work on the projects to begin this spring.
Money for CDBG grant funding comes every two years. Last year, part of the 2022 allocation, $172,000, was used for projects in Salem and Columbiana.
Ritchey previously noted a community development implementation strategy meeting will be held in March with local communities to discuss the projects they want to submit for the 2024 CDBG allocation.
Also during the meeting, Commissioner Roy Paparodis acknowledged the one-year anniversary on Feb. 3 of the East Palestine train derailment, saying "our thoughts and prayers are with the people of East Palestine."
The next meeting of the county commissioners will be 9 a.m. Feb. 14 in the first floor conference room of the downtown courthouse.