Finance committee forwards ordinance seeking about $293,000 more for Park Avenue OPWC project

The Amherst Finance Committee voted unanimously June 23 to send Ordinance 2525 to the full City Council with an emergency declaration to authorize approximately $293,000 in additional funds for the Park Avenue project under the Ohio Public Works Commission Round 38 program.

Mayor Meyer said bids on the project came in higher than estimated, with one bid substantially above the estimate and others above budget. He said Bramhall Engineering reviewed the bids and recommended reductions to nonessential items to lower cost. "We did some reductions of some nonessential items," Mayor Meyer said, adding that some items were eliminated entirely and others partially reduced.

Meyer said reductions include deferring certain water-line work that runs under the street and removing solar-powered signage options so fixtures will be connected to the grid for now. He said the reductions lowered the amount the city must add but that the project still requires roughly $293,000 more than originally appropriated. "They can't get started without us approving this," Meyer said, urging committee members to forward the ordinance and to consider suspending rules so the funding can be approved on an emergency basis.

The committee moved to send Ordinance 2525 to the full City Council with an emergency declaration; the motion passed 6-0. The committee record did not show individual roll-call votes by name.

The measure and accompanying engineer's letter will proceed to the full City Council for final action. Committee members noted that delaying the project to re-bid could increase costs further.