Infrastructure committee moves Richmond Mills from paving list to reclaim; recommendation approved

The Town of Wayne Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday voted to recommend removing Richmond Mills from the town’s planned 1‑inch wearing-surface overlay list and instead treating it as a reclaim (pulverize and rebuild) project to be coordinated with nearby Barry Road. The motion, made during the committee's discussion of reconnaissance findings, passed by a committee voice vote after members debated cost and equipment‑tapering implications.

Members said Mark and Taylor’s road reconnaissance determined Richmond Mills’ surface was better suited to reclamation than the wearing-surface treatment proposed earlier. Committee members described prior work on Richmond Mills as a temporary “band‑aid” and said grinding and full reclamation would produce a longer‑lasting repair and allow better tapering at intersections.

The committee discussed procurement strategy for the work: including the reclaim as an alternate bid item in the town’s road RFP, or grouping adjacent roads to produce cost efficiencies. Members recommended the road commissioner package Barry Road and Richmond Mills together as one procurement item where appropriate, while keeping options to award add‑alternates depending on bid results.

The recommendation will be forwarded to the road commissioner as the committee’s formal advice on prioritization and bid packaging. No formal dollar amounts were adopted; members said alternatives will be chosen once sealed contractor bids for base and alternate items are received.