By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
The Olean Common Council awarded a $2.3 million bid to a Jamestown paving firm for the city’s annual pavement preparation and overlay program.
Lakeshore Paving Co., was declared the lowest responsible bidder with a $2,331,808 bid. The company did not submit the lowest of the eight bids received, but was number two, Council President John Crawford, D-Ward 5 said.
Public Works Director James Sprague said state Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) funding pays for the annual paving. The paving is expected to begin later this month.
LakeShore Paving was also the low bidder for a rehabilitation project at the Cattaraugus County-Olean Airport involving the apron and automobile parking area with abid of $870,362.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and New York State Department of Transportation are providing 95% of the funding. The Cattaraugus County Legislature provides the city’s share of projects at the airport.
Aldermen also approved a second airport project, design of new pedestrian and vehicle gates, for $32,250, using FAA, state and 5% local funding.
Action was delayed on a resolution by Alderman J.R. Bennion, R-Ward 1, to remove the strings of lights across North Union Street that do not work.
“They’ve been there for over two years,” said Bennion, chairman of the City Operations Committee. The lights are non-working and unused. “Take them down and be done with it,” he stated.
Mayor Bill Aiello said the city has been working with the company that installed the lights to get them to work. He said the company is asking for $12,000, plus a $480 testing fee.
Aiello said the city’s Electric Department will see if the lights still work. “Give us another two weeks to a month.”
Alderman David Anastasia, D-Ward 7, asked about a lawsuit. He was told that while there is no active litigation, there is the potential for litigation. Council members met in executive session at the end of the meeting to hear more on the lights from City Attorney Bridget Marshall.
Aldermen approved two resolutions dealing with zoning for solar energy and battery storage systems.
Only Tier 1 solar energy systems will be permitted in the city under the local law on solar energy. It includes
- Roof-mounted solar energy systems.
- Building-integrated solar energy systems.
- Ground-mounted solar energy systems up to 25
kilowatts or ground-mounted solar energy systems with a total solar panel surface area of up to 4,000 square feet.
- On-farm solar energy systems.
Crawford, the Council president, disclosed that the city Sewer Department planned to connect more than 2,000 feet of stormlines including Henley, Sullivan, North Second and Oak streets.
The local law on battery storage is divided into Tier 1, a single energy storage system of up to 600 kw and Tier 1, capable of up to 1,200 kw for on-site usage only.
Battery storage systems will be on 24-month operating permits if they receive a building permit for construction. A decommissioning fund will be required and a system will be considered abandoned if it fails to operate for one year.
Crawford said the city continues to work with the state Department of Environmental Conservation on the $500,000 state grant the city received to stem the flow of untreated sewage into the Allegheny River.
Aiello said recently city employees have been sent to pumping stations in times of heavy rain to help balance the pumping and avoid diverting untreated sewage into the river.
Members of the Task Force from the city and the Seneca Nation addressing the overflow issue will meet again on July 22, Crawford said.
A resolution sponsored by Bennion to take $1,500 from an account controlled by the mayor’s office and use it for training expenses for Auditor Lens Martial was pulled from the agenda for lack of a second.
Aiello argued that it is generally left up to the mayor’s office which funds to be used to transfer money to another account. The fund Bennion chose to transfer from is budgeted to buy flags for local cemeteries for Memorial Day, the mayor said.
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All Rights Reserved. Star News LLC. Eric M. Firkel.
