OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – It was revealed at the Oil City Council meeting on Thursday that Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc., of Grove City, Pa., was the low bidder for the Oil City paving project.

Hawbaker’s bid came in at $362,357.50 for the base bid and an additional 63,819.50 for three of the four alternatives the city was considering if the bids were low enough, which they were. The total Hawbaker bid, excluding the first alternative which was deemed to be too expensive, was $426,177.00.

That bid was slightly better than the bid offered by IA Construction Corporation, of Franklin, the only other bidder on the project. IA’s base bid was $374,471.42 which increased to $437,622.89 when the three alternative projects the city is choosing to take on were factored in.

According to Jan Ruditis, from the city’s engineering office, this is the first time in her 34 years with the city that Hawbaker won the bid, and the bid came in slightly less than the approximately $480,000.00 the city estimated to spend on the paving project.

The money for the project, which is expected to begin somewhere around October 1, 2018, is going from a variety of funds including $136,021.50 of Community Development Block Grant funds, $203,237.50 in Liquid Fuel funds, and $23,098.50 in sewer funds for the base projects and another $63,819.50 from Liquid Fuel funds for the three alternative projects.

The streets to be paved using the CDBG funds include Wabash Avenue from Colbert Avenue to Glenview Avenue, Glenview Avenue from above Zemke Lane to Oak Grove Street, and Oak Grove Street from Colbert Avenue (through the intersection) to Glenview Avenue (through the intersection).

The base-bid projects to be paid for using Liquid Fuel monies include Fisher Avenue from Oak Road to past Pleasant Street, Merrit Street from Plummer Street to Manning Street, Spruce Street from Duncomb Street to Plummer Street, Memorial Drive from Seneca Street to its end, and Darr Street from West 1st Street to its end (only one 25 millimeter coat will be used on Darr Street).

The streets from the alternate list to be paved using Liquid Fuel funds include Crawford Alley from Cooper Avenue to Gay Street, North Street from Hickory Street to Abbott Street, Hickory Street from West 1st Street to North Street, East Second Street from Wilson Avenue to State Street, and East Second Street from State Street to Central Avenue.

The roads to be paved using sewer funds monies include Central Avenue from a patch below 2nd Street, Manning Alley from Plummer Street to Wood Street (only one 25 millimeter coat will be used on this section), and Wyllis Street from a patch above West 1st Street.

City resident Tony Kot, who lives on Oak Street, addressed the council about his and his neighbors’ concerns that the amount of pavement to be used on Oak Street wasn’t enough.

Kot said it was his understanding that the road would be milled 2 inches and then 2 inches of asphalt would be put on it. One of his beliefs is because of the roads use by school buses (and other high-traffic) that it should be milled to 4 inches and then paved to 4 inches. He cited some statistics about the weight of buses and other reasons why he believed the extra pavement was needed.

But, Kot’s concerns were met with resistance from both the council and members of the staff. They cited a few concerns including not knowing what they would find if they milled two more inches and also the overall cost that doing two more inches of milling and two more inches of paving would add, which is considered to be “substantial” and not something the city could afford.

Kot said he was only giving his opinion and the opinion of his neighbors as taxpayers.

GRANT APPLICATION SUBMISSION APPROVED

In a follow up from a request from the Oil City Main Street program at the last council meeting on August 9, 2018, the council authorized the submission of a Keystone Communities Grant Application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for the operation of a facade improvement grant program.

The Oil City Main Street Program has been operating a successful downtown revitalization program since 2011 and is currently recognized as a priority community by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center and DCED.

The grant application is for $50,000.00. If awarded, the Main Street Program, with council’s approval, will allocate monies to Oil City businesses for facade improvements with the businesses responsible for half the cost. This program has been in effect for some time now and has proven to be very successful.

SCHROYER WANTS TO HOLD NEGOTIATIONS WITH COMCAST

City Manager Mark Schroyer said Comcast has submitted its carriage agreement to the city, but Schroyer wants to set up negotiations with the company, specifically to try to get the company to pay the $6,000.00 for the PEG Channel).

“Comcast sent it to us like it is a done deal,” Schroyer said. “In my experience, these things are negotiated. It’s a lucrative contract for Comcast and for us as well.”

Schroyer proposed setting up a negotiating committee that would comprise of himself, Varsek and one of the council members.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business the council:

• Agreed to purchase a mini-excavator from Walsh Equipment as well add-ons (a mechanical coupler, a hydraulic main pin thumb, a 12-inch bucket and an 18-inch bucket) for $58,432.00. The mini-excavator, which is a brand new 2017 model, was going to be a request in the 2019 budget, but the city can get the machine cheaper right now. The cost of a 2018 model would be $63,609.00 without the add-ons.
• Approved a request from the Oil City YMCA to use the Mitchell Avenue Little League baseball field for its Fall Tee Ball Program, which will be held on Thursday’s from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for six weeks starting September 13. Fall Tee Ball is available for kids 3-years old to 6-years old.
• Gave approval to a request from Disruption Softball, a traveling softball team based in Oil City that has several teams ranging from 10-under to 18-under, to use the Mitchell Park, Hasson Pool and upper fields at Mitchell Avenue fields for its practices from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday’s from September 2 through November 25. Schroyer noted that there may be some possible conflicts with the Vipers Softball team at the Mitchell Park, which is when the Disruption will then use the other fields.
• Approved a request from the Southside Neighborhood Association to close East Third Street between Church Street and Pine Street as well as Walnut Street between East Third Street and East Third Alley from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on August 28 to accommodate the Association’s annual Ice Cream Social at the Laugh and Play Playground at the Corner of East Third Street and Walnut Street. The Ice Cream Social, which is open to all in the neighborhood and surrounding area, will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on August 28.
• Heard from Schroyer that the new public works truck was scheduled to arrive on Friday, August 24.
• Set Halloween Trick or Treat from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31.

Editor’s note — This story was changed to reflect that Knot was talking in inches, not millimeters.