CALAIS — In a short City Council meeting Thursday, City Manager Mike Ellis reported what he called “bad news” about the Route 1/North Street paving project that the city hoped to get done this summer.
The paving project received two bids, one for just over $10 million and another for around $9 million. Both bids are well over the Maine Department of Transportation-approved cost of the project, and have been rejected by MDOT.
This is the second year MDOT has rejected bids for this project, which have all come in about 40 percent higher than expected.
Ellis told councilors MDOT is going to send a representative to Calais in May to walk the project route, starting just before Steamboat Street, to the bridge and out to Ice House Road at the MooseHorn National Wildlife Refuge.
“We’re going to have to downsize the scope of this project,” Ellis said, pointing out that the funds allocated for the project are from the 2021 Biden Infrastructure Bill and that the money must be obligated to the project by September this year.
“We’re on kind of a tight timeline to get this done,” Ellis said. He plans to schedule a meeting with Calais legislative representatives and MDOT to work out the details and said he would report back to the council as soon as he can.
In other business, Ellis reported that 30 new street lights have been installed downtown and that the city has been awarded a $75,000 Climate Resiliency Grant to buy the remaining light fixtures, which will be installed this summer. When completed, the additional lighting “should be a huge improvement for public safety,” Ellis said.
Councilors approved May 2 and 3 as community spring cleanup and dump days for residents to get rid of large amounts of yard waste. Tires are not eligible for collection.
Councilors also authorized Ellis to participate in the Maine Power Options fuel bidding process and to execute a contract to buy propane, gasoline and diesel for city use, and to solicit local bids for comparison if necessary. The city previously used an in-house bidding process.
