Waterford approves multi-district paving, milling and guardrail contracts

The Board of Selectmen authorized the public-works director to proceed with cooperative purchasing contracts covering guardrails, milling, paving, line striping and catch-basin cleaning for multiple districts, using state and CRCOG bid contracts for fiscal 2026–27.

Director of Public Works Gary Schneider told the board the town is "piggybacking" on larger state and regional bids that include standard specifications and price-per-ton schedules; he noted the contracts contain asphalt escalation clauses tied to oil prices that may adjust the per-ton price monthly. "The only clause for this year is that there's an asphalt escalation clause," Schneider said, adding that so far no escalation has been applied.

The board discussed scheduling and district sequencing. Schneider said work is underway in District 3 and that Quaker Hill has an extensive multi-year plan; he described the current effort as a three-year rolling pavement plan funded through FY2027 appropriations and cooperative agreements with the contractor. He noted the contracts lock in prices through April 2028 with applicable monthly escalation provisions, but stressed scheduling onto contractor calendars is the principal constraint.

Selectmen approved the cooperative contract authorization by voice vote and asked staff to monitor escalation indexes and report if major price shifts occur. Schneider said the plan includes a prioritized list of Quaker Hill streets and smaller roads to be completed early in the season and larger sections later in summer and fall, with contingency planning for basin and water-service replacements where needed.

The authorization allows public-works staff to issue work orders and move into year-two program elements as funds and contractor availability allow.