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O&W Rail Trail project proceeds as low bidder comes in under budget
Summary
County staff reported a low apparent bidder and volunteer support for the O&W Rail Trail project, and said federal funds tied to the New York State Department of Transportation are secured. Tree clearing and site prep are underway.
County planning staff updated legislators that the O&W Rail Trail project has a low apparent bidder and that preparatory work is progressing, with community volunteers and town crews assisting on site.
At the committee meeting, Heather Jackse (staff member) said a low apparent bidder, identified as Sullivan County Paving, submitted a bid of about $2,850,000, which she said was slightly under the project budget. Jackse said the county has funds to cover the project and that tree clearing is complete in key spots. She credited the town of Fallsburg and volunteers for helping to clear trees and said local contractors are working on grading and grubbing, a remaining major pre-construction step.
Jackse said the project has drawn multiple community partners, including the O and W Rail Trail Alliance and the Soil and Water Conservation District. She said Delaware Engineering donated a silt fence and the Soil and Water Conservationist for Sullivan County is donating installation labor. Jackse described grant administration and coordination tasks being handled by county staff and volunteers.
County officials also said the federal component of the project is “secured” and that the New York State Department of Transportation will execute an agreement after design and engineering work is complete. Jackse described that step as the state's "equivalent of a grant disbursement agreement" that will allow the county to draw down federal funds once execution is complete.
The update noted the project has been under development since 2020 and that the county intends to hold an execution step at an upcoming executive meeting to hire the vendor who will update the county's hazard mitigation plan; county staff emphasized the timing so that plan eligibility does not lapse in February.
Next steps described were completing grading and grubbing, executing required agreements with NYSDOT, and moving the construction contract forward once internal administration and state agreement steps are finished.
