By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Atmore City Council members, in a meeting delayed for a day due to the city’s observation of Columbus Day, gave unanimous approval October 11 to a resolution to move forward with the city’s planned street paving project.
The full council approved the plan, which covers all or parts of 21 different city streets, most of them in bad need of new surfaces, and carries an estimated price tag of $2.6 million.
The original financial projection ($2.4 million) includes estimated costs for mobilization ($100,000), traffic control ($15,000), inlet modifications ($80,000) and resetting 80 manhole and valve covers ($68.000).
“That means it’s going to cost us $263,000 just to get set up and get started,” explained City Clerk Becca Smith.
The total estimated construction costs have grown from the initial figure to $2,633,016 due to additional projected costs of the project: (a) a survey of drainage in sensitive areas ($15,000); (b) engineering design ($95,900); (c) construction engineering and observation ($119,900), and a post-paving topographical survey ($4,000).
The work scheduled for East Horner Street is the most expensive component of the plan, with an anticipated cost of $294,190. The new surfaces planned for three other streets also top the $200,000 mark, while a fourth comes close.
Projections are that the South Pensacola Avenue portion of the project will cost $243,810; the resurfacing of Ridgely Street is expected to cost $230,300, and it will take an estimated $213,913 to repave South Trammell Street. Swift Mill Road’s resurfacing estimate comes in at $195,976.
No date has been announced for onset of the project, and council members did not talk about funding for the resurfacing plan.
City officials have publicly discussed the possibility of obtaining funding by refinancing the low-interest United States Department of Agriculture loan that was used for building the new municipal streets and sanitation building.
In other business, the council:
*approved the use of Houston Avery Park for last Saturday’s (October 15) Candlelight Service and Fun Day.
*announced that the official period for trick-or-treating within the city limits will be on Halloween night, October 31, from 5 to 8 p.m.