Marion paving plans may have to wait

Marion paving plans may have to wait

Equipment purchase pushed back to ‘ 17

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion may have to wait to buy new paving equipment until next year's budget.

Road Department Supervisor Gordon Floyd told the city council that it will take several months to get the equipment which will be too late to resurface the streets around the schools.

The city had hoped to buy the equipment and resurface L.H. Polk, Carter Drive, and Rico Road by Marion High School.

'If we order the equipment now, it will be August before we get the equipment,' Floyd said. 'We discussed putting some streets out to bid by the school. We'd be under the gun if we're going to do the school now.'

The city plans to buy a new paver, small tack machine, and a new roller for $143,000 in order to be able to resurface more of the city's streets in-house without having to bid the job out. Purchasing the equipment and resurfacing the streets using city crews would save the city $20 to $30 a ton on asphalt.

'If we do three or four streets, it will come close to paying for itself,' Floyd said. 'It's a good move to get the equipment if we are going to continue to fix our own streets.'

The city recently resurfaced Shoppingway to Sonic and paved Willow Street by the Police Department.

But since it will take too long to get the equipment, Floyd suggested buying the equipment in next year's budget and going ahead and advertising for the roadwork by the schools.

'Then we can go ahead and pave the streets we talked about or we can put it out to bid now,' Floyd said. 'But either way you are putting a paving company in a tight position to get it done before school starts.'

Mayor Frank Fogleman agreed.

'I think there is merit to getting the equipment,' Fogleman said. 'If we wait until next year's budget and place the order in October we should have it here in the spring. I think we should go ahead and run the ad and get the work done and whoever the successful bidder is go ahead and ask them if they can get the work done (before the start of school).'

By Mark Randall