Worthington Hills awards Ludenberg Drive repaving contract after debate over additive and local bids

The Worthington Hills City Commission opened bids and voted to award the Ludenberg Drive repaving contract after hearing technical detail about an additive and debating vendor selection.

The commission considered five sealed bids for the Ludenberg Drive project. Staff read the amounts aloud: Louisville Paving & Construction $111,227; Hall Paving (listed as Hall) $106,800; Glenn Brothers $110,761.55; Lids Paving Company $92,300; and Riverside Paving & Construction Co. $108,912. Riverside included an optional fiber additive priced separately at $8,019.

Donnie Manford of Riverside Paving told the commission the fiber product is mixed into hot-mix asphalt to strengthen it and has been used in Louisville projects for about eight years. "This mix, you put in the asphalt, and it's supposed to strengthen the asphalt," Manford said, adding he could not confirm long-term field performance yet: "I cannot sit here and tell you all that it's worth the extra money because it hasn't been long enough for me to tell."

Commissioners focused on two procurement concerns: whether the lowest bidder (Lids Paving) had its own asphalt plant and whether asphalt hauled a long distance would reach the work site at the required temperature. One commissioner said she prefers a contractor that manufactures its own asphalt, noting that past long-lived paving on Ludenberg used a firm with its own plant.

There was also a short exchange about thermoplastic markings: staff confirmed the bid specifications call for thermoplastic chevrons and markings, which several commissioners supported because paint wears off faster.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to award the contract to Paul Paving; the commission took a roll-call vote and the motion carried with the mayor and each listed commissioner voting yes.

Votes at a glance - Ludenberg Drive repaving: motion to award to Paul Paving — approved by roll call. - Ordinance No. 3, Series 2026 (fiscal year 2026-27 budget): adopted by roll-call vote; general fund revenue and carryover budgeted at $475,250, expenses $475,000 (a $250 surplus), ordinance effective date listed as 07/01/2025 in the reading. - Tax-bill insert letter: approved by voice vote. - Flagpole landscaping (pavers): motion to install pavers at the new flagpole area — approved by roll call. - Audit engagement (Bramble & Ackley PSC): engagement approved; fee not to exceed $9,900; fieldwork to begin around late August with reports due by late November.

Why it matters Road maintenance is funded from the citys road fund; commissioners emphasized both long-term durability and cost because savings on a project can free funds for additional work. The decision affects which contractor schedules the work, whether the optional fiber additive is used on Ludenberg Drive, and the timing of paving work planned for late summer.

Whats next Staff was directed to notify bidders of the award and to request any follow-up bids for the fiber option if commissioners later choose to add it to the contract. Commissioners also instructed staff to collect vendor availability for scheduling, and to bring pothole-repair estimates for a separate, lower-cost authorization at a future meeting.

Attribution and notes Quotes and technical explanations in this article are from commission meeting remarks and vendor statements. Speaker attributions follow the meeting transcript: Donnie Manford (Riverside Paving) spoke about the fiber additive; commissioners and staff discussed specifications and procurement options. The meeting record shows the formal votes listed above.