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Finance committee approves $1.7 million increase to street‑paving contract cap; officials cite utility coordination
Summary
The Warwick City Finance Committee approved raising the spending cap on a street‑improvements contract by $1.7 million to $8 million and discussed how utility work and reimbursements affect which roads get paved.
The Warwick City Finance Committee voted to raise the spending cap on a city street‑improvements contract by $1.7 million, bringing the total cap to $8 million, at its meeting. Public Works staff told the committee the increase would cover additional paving work to be performed by the two recommended vendors.
Public Works project manager Christy Moretti told the committee, “Public works is requesting to increase the, cap on the street improvements bid in the amount of $1,700,000 for a total total cap of $8,000,000. And the 2 vendors are TMIOZ and JR Penagra for paving ... Street paving.” The committee moved the item forward as part of the bid package.
Why it matters: Committee members used the discussion to press staff for a clearer, though still flexible, list of roads scheduled for paving and to emphasize the need to coordinate with utilities so recently repaired or cut roads are not repaved prematurely. Public Works and the director described a multi‑year, fluid prioritization process influenced by road condition, traffic volume and utility work.
Public Works Director Eric Earls said the department prioritizes roads impacted by utility work. “We know the Rhode Island Energy roads that we're gonna be restoring because those are roads that they cut into and did their utility work in years past,” Earls said, noting that the city tries to avoid paving streets that utilities will soon reopen.
Committee members asked how much paving $1.7 million would buy. Moretti explained the variability in paving techniques and materials and estimated a range: “we can probably get 3 to 4 miles out of it, but there are a lot of factors that have to be considered.” Earls reiterated that width, paving method (mill and overlay versus full reconstruction) and ancillary work such as sidewalks affect cost and coverage.
Budget and reimbursement: Staff said the work will be funded from existing appropriations and reimbursements. Moretti described multiple funding sources discussed in the packet: “We had the ARPA funds. We had, reimbursement that we were getting from, our Bridal, and then we also have the reimbursements that we get from Rhode Island Energy.” She also said the city maintains a reimbursement account (budget code beginning “401”) that currently holds about $3.2 million and that the department had received roughly $1 million in a separate reimbursement referenced in the packet.
Committee members requested a tentative road list for council members and residents. Earls said engineering is preparing a list but cautioned it is “pretty fluid” because National Grid/Rhode Island Energy and nearby development frequently change the schedule. He encouraged council members to forward constituent requests to Public Works for consideration.
Action taken: The committee recommended the bid cap increase be moved forward; the package including this item was later approved by the city council as part of a consent calendar.
Next steps: Staff said they will continue to coordinate with utilities, finalize the near‑term paving list and provide that list to council members when it is sufficiently firm.
