By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com

On a night full of rich discussion, the consideration of projects out for bid took center stage at the New Washington Village Council. After lengthy considerations of both, Council elected to table the decision on who would be doing the roof repair work, and accepting a bid for the 603 Scharf Street property.

Two bids came in for the roof repair work that needs to be done to Village Hall. Cosam came in at $46,000, and CRM Roofing out of Clyde came in at $39,912, for essentially the same work. Each company provided an additional bid for slightly thicker roofing material. This would up Cosam’s bid by $1,100, and CRM’s by $1,300. However, along with this extra expenditure, CRM would extend the warranty of the roof from 15 to 20 years.

The discussion among council was whether the extra $6,000 was too large a sum for the privilege of staying with the local company that is tried and true. Jerri Lucius was particularly vocal in wishing to use Cosam. Joe Blum supported Lucius by citing the excellent work and customer service that the village has received over the years from Cosam.

Brian Agin and Scott Hiler thought that the price difference was too big merely for the sense of staying with the familiar.

“I think we could use that $6,000 somewhere else,” Agin stated.

After going around the table several times, it became clear that Council was split 50-50. Blum, Lucius, and Gert Durnwald supported the Cosam bid. Agin, Hiler, and Paul Forster supported the CRM bid. In situations such as this it is up to the Mayor to break the tie. He was unwilling to do so at tonight’s meeting, and tabled the issue in order to do some research of his own.

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The 603 Scharf Street property was bid once before, with a solitary bid of $105 coming. Council elected to re-bid the project, and ask for a statement of intent of what a winning bidder would plan to do with the property. This time, two bids came in. The same $105 bid, along with a bid for $1,025. The $105 bid promised to clear the lot by July 1 of 2016 and install a rental property of some sort; either duplex or single family. The $1,025 bid promised to clear the lot but did not include a timeline. Council agreed to accept the $1,025 as long as the bidder was willing to agree to a July 1, 2016 deadline for clearing the property.

Steve Kaple and John Conglos addressed council at the beginning of the meeting regarding the proposed Cranberry Meadows development. This property development was brought to the Village in 2009, but was abandoned due the lack of need after studies were conducted. At the time, it was determined that a housing development of this type, single family and assisted living condominiums, was only in demand for about nine beds in New Washington. Since that time, Kaple and Conglos believe the need has risen to somewhere between 30 and 40.

The group feels that the need is now there, but the some of the same obstacles remain. This property would need to be rezoned, and accommodations would have to be made for providing road access to the 24-acre lot behind Studer-Obringer and the Herald Printing.

Kaple and Conglos asked Council if this was a project they were still interested in pursuing. Council replied by stating that when all the details are in place for going ahead, then they would consider interest on behalf of the village. It was mutually decided to revisit the subject in a month.