Paving of Ilion street delayed – The Times Telegram

By Donna Thompson donna@timestelegram.com

ILION Plans to pave John Street in the village of Ilion were put on hold Wednesday due to the upcoming property demolitions that are scheduled.

Department of Public Works Superintendent Jack Sterling told the village board John Street was on the list of streets to be paved this summer using Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funds, but he questioned whether the work should move ahead given three of the houses scheduled for demolition under the Federal Emergency Management Agency buyout program are on that street.

"Theyll have track hoes and trucks in there," said Sterling, adding if the village paves the street this month, as planned, the street would likely be torn up during the demolition work and the street would have to be repaved. He said he had asked if those houses could be demolished first to allow the paving work to be done this season, but he was given no guarantee this could happen.

Trustee Kalman Socolof noted if there are asbestos problems involved, the work could be delayed.

Mayor Terry Leonard said he had asked Jessica Breiten, of the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Comprehensive Planning Program, about demolishing these properties first.

"There was no guarantee theyd be at the top of the list," he said.

If the paving is delayed too long, it wont be done this season, said Sterling.

The board directed him to patch John Street and select another street to pave using the CHIPs funds. John Street will be on the list for next year.

Breitens recommendation to shorten the streets where demolition of houses is to take place was also discussed. Sterling and Village Administrator James Kramas argued against the move. Shortening the streets would complicate snow removal, they said, and they noted the amount of money the village receives in CHIPs funds is based on the miles of streets. The board agreed.

A smoke test conducted as part of the inflow and infiltration study on the village sanitary sewer system showed some issues on Morgan Street and Columbia Parkway, according to Sterling. Engineers from Barton & Loguidice told him they were optimistic about the villages chances to receive funding for a sanitary sewer project. They plan to bring data to the board at a future date.

Sterling also reported the sidewalk program the village is offering is going well and the Benedict Avenue project was nearly complete.

He said there seems to be a lot of interest in the sidewalk replacement program in all areas of the village. The plan called for sidewalks to be replaced on and near the streets to be repaved under the CHIPs program. The sidewalk program is for residents who request it and are willing to pay for the work. DPW is also keeping a list of residents outside the designated CHIPs area in case the department can get to them, according to Sterling.

The village board voted at an earlier meeting to replace the water and sewer mains on Benedict Avenue on an emergency basis. Repairs to water and sewer pipes had been made numerous times and a recent water main break damaged the street. The board voted to take out a bond anticipation note to pay for the project after receiving a quote of $273,000 from CNY Construction. Because it was handled as an emergency, the village did not have to go through the usual steps for the project, according to village officials.

Breiten, along with Mark Carabetta, senior project manager, and engineer James Murac, both of Milone & MacBroom, met with the board prior to the start of the regular meeting to discuss plans to improve drainage in the Columbia Parkway area.

Marina

Harbor Master Don Sterling reported the marina would be offering a veterans discount if requested. Trustee Bridget McKinley asked that he post signs to let visitors know the discount is available.

The board voted to approve a negative declaration for the Consolidated Funding Application for a capital project at the marina. The village board is seeking funds for a project that would include paving the driveway and parking area in a way that would prevent runoff from flowing into the canal and river. The village also hopes to deal with underground fuel storage tanks.

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Paving of Ilion street delayed - The Times Telegram