Martin's Additions delays contractor award for Brookville Road sidewalk after residents seek more information

Martin's Additions officials postponed a vote on awarding a paving contract for the Brookville Road sidewalk project after multiple residents and some council members asked for additional public information and a short window for community comment.

The project has been under study for more than five years. Council materials and the village manager traced the work back to a 2020 walkability task force and an engineer's early report that described the Brookville sidewalks as a "pedestrian nightmare" and recommended a full rebuild. The village later retained traffic and engineering consultants, drafted easements for adjacent properties and posted a 125'page request for proposals that produced eight bids.

Village staff said the lowest qualified paving bid was $485,000 and that about $100,000 has already been committed for easement compensation, surveys and engineering, putting near'term committed costs at roughly $600,000. Staff noted the published bid tabulation shows a range up to about $1,600,000 and described the procurement as "all'inclusive," saying the low bid was intended to cover removal, wall rebuilding and landscaping where necessary. "This bid is all inclusive. This is supposed to cover everything," staff said.

Engineers and staff told the council the existing sidewalk is not suitable for piecemeal repairs and that a full rebuild is necessary to meet federal and state ADA standards; staff said several waivers were secured to allow four'foot sections where constrained by private infrastructure. The State Highway Administration has issued permits with construction requirements and restricts construction hours; staff told the council SHA limits on'site work to about 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. during construction, and contractors must provide flagging and traffic control.

Several residents said they had learned about the sidewalk only recently and asked for clearer, synthesized outreach about the project's history, costs and schedule before the village awarded the contract. "The listserv has had an effect of adding sunshine onto the actions of the council," Thomas Kirby said as a resident urging more engagement. Another resident pressed the council for an estimate of total costs beyond the paving bid, noting potential expenses for walls, fences and landscaping.

Council members debated whether to proceed that night or delay to allow more community input and attendance by absent members. The village manager said permits must be secured before construction can begin and that a short delay would not necessarily derail the project; staff said contractors would need scheduling flexibility if the award moved. The council agreed not to vote that evening and to hold a publicly announced meeting (likely a short Zoom session) within roughly a week to resolve the award.

Next steps described by staff include selecting a contractor, securing performance bonds and insurance, coordinating preconstruction meetings with SHA and the county sediment control inspector, and issuing a notice to proceed once permits are in place. Staff told the council the contractor anticipates completing the work by April 2026 under an optimistic schedule but that winter weather and permit timing could require working in seasonal blocks.

The council did not take a final procurement vote at the meeting; a special publicly noticed meeting is expected to consider the award within a week.