May 14, 2013 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – Waynesburg Borough Council opened bids Monday for the borough’s summer paving projects.

Council received proposals from five contractors for work that will include paving portions of about 10 streets and alleys. The apparent low bid for the work was $115,300 presented by El Grande Construction. Council voted to award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder following bid review by the borough manager and solicitor.

The borough will repave Race Street, from Woodland to Porter streets; Liberty Street, High Street to past the housing authority building; South Street, Morris to Fruit; Strawberry Street, West to Nazer; Cherry Alley, West to Montgomery;

Morgan Street, High to Franklin; Church Street, High to Greene; Spring Street, Fourth Avenue to Second Alley; Fourth Alley at the Spring Street intersection; and Second Alley, Spring to West.

In other business, Borough Manager Bruce Wermlinger reported an issue involving the replacement of the culvert on Jackson Run at High Street has been resolved.

The borough earlier agreed to proceed with a $1.7 million project to replace the culvert on Jackson Run on both sides of High Street.

The borough received a $770,000 state grant for the project. The county also is contributing about $900,000 from a state Growing Greener grant.

The borough was prepared to proceed with the project before the grants expired, and was trying to coordinate the work with the state Department of Transportation’s replacement of the bridge under High Street.

Wermlinger said he met with PennDOT officials Monday and they agreed to complete the bridge replacement project at the same time the borough replaces the culvert.

Council approved a new contract with Fayette Engineering which is the engineer on the borough’s proposed $4 million sewage project.

The borough is required by the state to separate its storm sewers from its sanitary sewers and to halt infiltration of its sewage system from water in Ten Mile Creek.

Fayette Engineering has been working on the project for several years; however, the firm recently had changes in its management.

Under the new contract, the borough will pay Fayette $12,000 for work that has been done that has not yet been billed. A breakdown was received of the costs owed. Further payments will be made as the work progresses.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. Council also asked engineer Mike Dufalla to submit a proposals for monitoring Fayette’s work.

Bruce Black of Crucible, who said he was a founding member of the Pennsylvania Patriots, asked council for permission to hold a march July 4 on High Street from the McDonald’s Restaurant in Franklin Township to the courthouse and back to McDonalds.

Black said his group is concerned about the government’s violation of citizen’s Constitutional rights. He said he expected 2,000 to 3,000 people to participate in the march.

Council members talked of some of the “logistical” problems of such a march, including the heavy traffic on High Street, the lack of a detour, the need to prohibit parking along the route and provide manpower to stop traffic at each of the many intersections.

Members suggested the group hold a rally at the courthouse and perhaps march around the commons.

Black said he would talk to his members about it but as the discussion continued and councilman Dar Fitch made a comment about police officers’ overtime, Black stopped and said he didn’t want to argue and would take the march to Uniontown or Pittsburgh.

Council thanked the Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation, which donated $1,200 to the borough for police medical kits, and is a sponsor of the summer playground program and recently purchased several dozen bicycle helmets to distribute to children at the playground.