Jail Roof Replacement
Funded
At their June 2 meeting, the
Selectmen reviewed the three bids received for the
re-roofing of the Old Jail Building. The bids received
were from Sally Construction LLC at $343,593, RA Parady
& Sons, Inc. at $186,610 and The Imperial Company,
Inc. at $154,384.
Joanne Nesti, a member of the Jail Building Committee,
stated there was $150,000 appropriated in the Capital
Plan for this project but that all bids came in over that
amount. She also stated that out of the $150,000, the
architect has been paid $12,000 which leaves a balance of
$137,000.
Selectman Arseneault recommended sending an additional
funding request to the Board of Finance before awarding
the bid.
The Board of Finance took action on the Board of
Selectmen’s request at their July 14 meeting and
transferred an additional $19,500 from the 2009 budget
contingency line to fund the project.
Walkley Hill Road
Repairs Postponed
As reported in our May issue,
the Board of Selectmen met last April to review
engineering plans to fix a collapsing retaining wall
along Walkley Hill Rd. At the end of that meeting a vote
was taken to send the repair project out for bids with
three options for facing the retaining wall: veneer,
simulated or plain concrete.
The current wall made out of stone and probably more than
a century old, is slanting forward and quickly losing its
capability to support the road on top of it. It runs 340
feet on the east side of Walkley Hill Rd, going north
from the intersection with Hayden Hill.
At a special meeting held on July 15, First Selectman
DeStefano presented the bid results to the other two
members of his board.
Six companies competed for the project: Cisco, LLC;
Derita & Sons Construction Co., Inc.; Xenelis
Construction, Co. Inc.; Hemlock Construction Co., Inc.;
B&L Construction Co., Inc.; Vynalek Construction Co.,
Inc.; and Schumack Engineered Construction.
One bid, Cisco LLC, had to be rejected as not having been
completed as required. The other five bids ranged from
$1,049,990 to $1,839,000 for the “veneer” facing option,
$997,990 to $1,679,887 for the “simulated” option and
from to $ 971,990 to $1,597,887 for the “plain concrete”
option.
At the onset on the meeting, DeStefano made it clear that
in his mind the bids came up a lot higher expected. “We
just do not have that kind of money to pay for it right
now,” he said.
DeStefano asked the selectmen to reject all bids with the
possibility of going back to bids later in the year, when
construction companies have less work on the table and
the town would be in a better bargaining position.
Selectman Peter Arseneault asked if the town was
considering closing that portion of Walkley Hill in the
meantime for safety and liability reasons. DeStefano
answered that the town would not close the road but that
public works and their engineers would be monitoring the
situation very closely.
Abutting neighbor Sean Donlan present at the meeting
indicated that another part of the wall structure facing
his property had recently collapsed.
After a brief discussion, the Selectmen voted unanimously
to reject the bids.
Selectmen Award Bid
for 2010–11 Town Insurance Program
Two bids were received for
the town’s workers’ compensation program, one from CIRMA
in the amount of $124,139 and one from Travelers
Insurance in the amount of $131,880.
First Selectman Paul DeStefano stated that MIRMA (the
current town insurance company, a pool of 60 Connecticut
towns) has financial difficulties and sent all its member
towns additional assessment bills for last fiscal year.
Our new assessment now totals $81,000, of which the town
has paid $13,000 and an additional $17,000, leaving a
balance of $51,000. DeStefano stated the assessment is
wrong and should not be paid by the town at this time. He
further indicated that 37 towns, including ours, are
filing a suit against MIRMA.
R.C. Knox, who is the town’s new insurance agent,
recommended CIRMA for three years. Selectmen Duval and
Arseneault agreed to accept that recommendation and the
Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to accept the bid
from CIRMA.