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Tipp City Council directs staff not to solicit bids for Exit 68 bridge painting
Summary
After debate about cost, state authority and timing, council voted to direct staff not to put the Exit 68 bridge painting project out to bid, citing ODOT jurisdiction and the project's estimated cost (about $600,000).
TIPP CITY — The Tipp City Council voted Monday to direct staff not to solicit bids for painting the bridge at Exit 68 after members debated cost, state responsibility and timing.
Council discussion focused on whether the city should spend an estimated $600,000 on painting a bridge that the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) may reconstruct in a future, but unspecified, timeframe. One council member said the painting estimate "is $600,000 estimated" and questioned whether that money would be better used elsewhere in the community.
City staff and the incoming city manager explained that landscaping and bridge painting are separate projects, that painting requires certified ODOT contractors because the work falls in the ODOT right‑of‑way, and that ODOT currently has the bridge on its long‑range schedule but cannot provide a firm construction date (estimates mentioned ranged from 10 to 20 years).
Following discussion, Councilmember Kessler moved — and Mister Enslen seconded — a motion to instruct the manager not to advertise for bids for the bridge painting. The clerk called the roll and the motion carried with a majority of council voting yes; one member recorded a no vote.
What happens next: Council can revisit the project in a future meeting; staff indicated the design is complete and ODOT approvals exist, meaning the project could be rebid later if council changes course.
