PERU – The bid package for the new sand/salt shed is nearly complete and ready to be advertised.
Selectmen reviewed the drawings and specifications prepared by William E. Whited Inc. at a special work session Wednesday night.
The Quonset hut-style building will be located on Peru Center Road across from the town office. It will hold 2,800 cubic yards.
Selectman Kathy Hussey proposed that bids be opened on Feb. 2. The project will be completed this summer.
The only unresolved issue is whether or not to separate out the blasting, filling and grading portion of the project. Selectmen Bill Hine and Andy St. Pierre spoke in favor of having one contractor responsible for the entire project.
Road Commissioner David Gammon said that some money might be saved if the town contracted out the blasting and then did the other site preparation. St. Pierre will discuss this issue with their engineer. He will report Whited’s recommendation to the board at their regular meeting Monday night when this issue is formally considered.
State officials say it will reimburse the town 41.48 percent of the cost of the shed. However, the state is several years behind in payments to other towns, and there is no assurance it will ever pay its share.
Selectmen continued work on the 2006 town meeting warrant. They expressed concern that higher costs, such as school expenses, fuel and insurance, which are beyond the town’s control, will have a serious impact on the budget. Hine said they must have detailed backup for all proposed expenses. St. Pierre said that all town operations should be reviewed for possible savings. They will investigate postponing scheduled road repairs, weighing the immediate savings against the increased future cost.
Comments are no longer available on this story