Allegany County Public Works Committee approves road contracts, hears flooding update and personnel requests

Allegany County Public Works Committee Chair Kevin Fred Demick opened the April 1 meeting and the committee confirmed a quorum before approving an agenda change to move item No. 5 to the end for executive session.

Highway Superintendent Tom Windus reported on recent flooding that he said primarily affected the county's northeast (Swain, Garwoods and Canisaragua). Windus said county crews are still assessing damage, that no county bridges are known to have been damaged to the point of required closure, and that several roads were closed temporarily for safety while crews documented conditions. "We have bridges down and no bridges that we're aware of yet have been damaged to the point where they had to be closed," Windus said, adding that shoulders are missing in places but most county roads remain passable.

The committee questioned whether statewide damage assessments might meet FEMA thresholds; Windus said the county is tallying local impacts and advised checking with state contacts for broader thresholds.

The committee then moved through a series of procurement and project approvals. Public Works presented a 2026 in-place asphalt concrete award to Dolomite Products Company as the low bidder at $2,632,200; the chair called for a motion, Whitney moved, and the motion carried. Windus said the county will prioritize recycling and that the current asphalt index is adding roughly $25,000 per mile depending on pavement thickness.

Committee members approved a multi-award package of 2026 road-building material contracts (effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027) intended to allow flexible local sourcing; the motion carried with one abstention noted. The committee also approved discrete construction awards including a prefabricated glue-laminated bridge deck for 2606 South Broad Street in the Town of Wellsville to Laminated Concepts Industries (sole bidder) for $228,458, and two precast concrete box culvert systems for County Route 22 (Towns of Independence) to Binghamton Precast and Supply Corporation at $225,000 and $224,300, respectively. All were approved by motion.

Windus presented four similar resolutions authorizing the chairman to execute agreements with the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad for borings (jack-and-bore) under railroad right-of-way for the new DPW shop. The packet lists first-year license fees and separate consultant/document-preparation fees for each crossing; for example, one resolution lists a $600 first-year license fee to the railroad and $2,250 to a consultant for document preparation. Committee members asked for clarification on which fees correspond to which pipe types (Windus said fees are based on pipe size) and were told the first-year license fee is recurring while the utility remains under the railroad. The resolutions were approved, subject to county attorney review of contract language.

On a project funding item, the committee approved a $5,000 amendment to the engineering agreement with Hunt Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors to provide NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) services tied to newly secured federal funding for the Allegany County water and wastewater design project. Windus said NEPA was not in the original scope because the project originally relied on state funding; once federal funds were obtained, NEPA work became necessary. Committee members asked whether further amendments were expected; Windus said this NEPA amendment was the anticipated environmental/funding addition.

The committee approved personnel items: permission to hire up to 19 seasonal employees at $16 per hour (positions allocated in the 2026 budget) and creation and fill of a bridge-maintenance position to formalize work a current laborer has performed (including CDL duties) and to align pay and title with responsibilities. A committee member praised the seasonal program as a long-running benefit that helps young people gain summer work while letting regular staff focus on more technical tasks.

Windus also reported progress at the county's new DPW shop (fence posts installed, carpentry beginning on foundations and framing) and noted potential lead times on heating units. The Solid Waste Advisory Committee reported a planning-session meeting focused on hang tags and commercial hauler issues and requested DPW gather data before their next public meeting.

Before adjourning to executive session on proposed acquisition/sale/lease of real property or securities where public discussion could substantially affect value, the committee discussed Belmont Church and possible outside funding (Ashley's economic-development office and potential foundations such as the Ralph Wilson Foundation) to explore using the site for county functions. Chair Demick moved the committee into executive session and the vote carried.

The committee handled the meeting's routine business and several procurement and personnel actions; most motions carried, and several items (including the railroad agreements and the Hunt Engineers NEPA amendment) were approved subject to county attorney approval of final contract language. The committee went into executive session at the end of the public agenda.