Ridgewood Moves Forward with Village Hall Repairs

The council appears poised next week to award a bid contract to restore the , though there were cost concerns expressed at the dais Wednesday night.

Village Manager Ken Gabbert reported the lowest responsible bidder for the project – designed to eliminate flood damage for events worse than Irene – came in at $275,000.

The price new flooring, raised water-proof blocks to replace sheetrock and various architectural details, Village Engineer Chris Rutishauser said. He remained confident the design would protect Village Hall from water damage, a constant fear given the building's position in a flood plain. 

Just replacing the sheetrock would have cost an estimated $140,000, the Rutishauser said, an option the council has panned under its mantra of "we're going to do it right this time."

However, the question of how much should be bonded caused distress among the council members. Deputy Mayor Tom Riche asked why the bond greatly exceeded the bid.

"It's ," Riche remarked, adding the village will have to pay interest on the total bond notes although the project is expected to be significantly less.

Gabbert defended the allocation, saying at the time the $550K figure was made there has been few concrete details known about the project scope and its costs. He added that the council can use any of the leftover money to put toward other capital projects.

"The concern is the tendency to spend that much just because you bonded it," Mayor Keith Killion said. "I'd like to see the number come down."

Unfortunately, with pressure from displaced community groups and residents wanting work to begin, defeating the ordinance and setting a new bond level would set work back two months, according to Village Clerk Heather Mailander.

Council members didn't see that as an option, and still hope the project can be completed by August.

"We'll have to monitor it closely," Killion said of the costs.

The work included does not account for other expenses such as furniture replacements or changes made to its flood wall.