City Council OKs $1.61 million paving contract, schedules spring work

The Ellsworth City Council unanimously approved a $1,613,750 contract with Northeast Paving on a motion March 18, authorizing the company to complete resurfacing, mill-and-pave and reclaim work on more than a dozen local streets beginning in April.

Council action followed a presentation from Public Works Director Michael Harris, who said the bid process was reissued after errors in earlier submissions and that two bidders submitted proposals in the second round. "Northeast Paving came in with a low bid of $1,613,750," Harris told the council and described three bid alternates that could be used if funding allowed: a 3-foot strip along Oak Street to repair severe potholes, repaving behind the library to address an erosion/drop-off, and cutting/grinding and resurfacing a 3-foot strip across Main Street to smooth a large bump.

The project is funded through a bond anticipation note (BAN) previously approved by the council. Harris told council members the city borrowed $2.1 million in anticipation of this bond and that the work covered by the current contract leaves the city "substantially under" that figure even with alternates included. Councilors asked about inspection and quality controls; Harris said public works staff inspect every job, record tonnage used and compare receipts to contract quantities.

The scope includes a mix of treatment types keyed to road condition, from full reclaim on long-deteriorated sections to shims-and-surface on roads with better bases. Harris read an itemized list of streets and treatments included in the contract (examples: Foster Street — mill and pave; Elm Street — 910 feet of 1.5-inch surface from High to Hancock; Grange/Grand Street — reclaim sections with binder and surface lifts; Happytown Road — 4,300 feet of 1-inch surface; Harbor parking area — 2 inches over existing pavement and gravel areas). He said High Street grinding will begin in mid‑April with expected paving late April, and that some state and nighttime work is anticipated for downtown areas.

Councilor Holland pressed the administration on the term of financing and the usable life of different treatments. Harris and other staff said reclaim is the longest‑lasting treatment (commonly at least 10 years) while shim-and-pave lifespans depend on traffic and winter severity; they described plans to track each road in a GIS-backed capital program and to institute five-year check-ins to evaluate longevity.

After discussion the council moved to approve acceptance of the bid and award the contract to Northeast Paving for $1,613,750, with funding from the bond anticipation note. The motion passed unanimously.