Councilwoman Donna Gizzi’s vision for a walking path that would connect the Stewart’s Shop on Ruhle Road South with the Stewart’s Shop on East Line Road will have to wait until spring, with the Malta town board unanimously rejecting the project bids that came in thousands of dollars over the projected budget.
Gizzi brought up the topic of a multi-use path in the area last April, but bids to complete the project just came in and were nearly $30,000 over what town officials had projected.
With the low bid coming in at $99,150, town staffers began to discuss how the project could be done for less money. One suggestion is to have the town highway department complete work next spring.
Supervisor Paul Sausville suggested this option could save the town about $40,000, money that could be used to pay for recoating the Parade Ground Village trails. Highway superintendent Tom Adriance said he expects the trail could be completed by the first of June.
During the board’s workshop meeting last week, Gizzi voiced her displeasure with her fellow board members’ decision to hold off on the completion of the trail saying, We’ve promised the people at Exit 11.
Of the lack of progress on the Ruhle Road South trail, Gizzi said, `It was April 4 that I came to the board with this project with the full support of the trails committee, and we are just now rejecting bids. I’m a little frustrated with it quite honestly.`
This week, she continued to stress the importance of the proposed pathway to residents of that area, citing safety as a major concern on the road. Both she and Councilwoman Sue Nolen asked that the project be rebid in the early spring. Gizzi suggested changes could be made to the bid related to a change in opinion from the town engineer regarding the most appropriate place for a crosswalk.
Tara Thomas, chairwoman of the trails committee, suggested that in conjunction with the new bid, consideration be given to constructing a paved path along Round Lake Road to Chango Drive. Director of Parks and Recreation Audrey Ball, suggested that Thomas’ proposed project could be incorporated in the bidding process. “