The City Council got some bad news at its meeting Monday about a state-funded project to improve sidewalks along Lake Street.
The city’s share of the project cost will be more than twice as much as had been expected.
But there is also good news: The city has money available in a home-rule sales tax fund to cover the increase.
Public Works Director Chris Berry told the council that the city will have to pay over a quarter-million dollars more than expected to cover its share of the project’s cost.
The plan is to install new sidewalks on the north side of Lake Street from Belle Alexander School to Cole Street.
Included will be improvements to make it safer for children walking on Lake Street to walk through the intersections with See Street, Harbour Street and Cole Street.
And new curbs and gutters are to be built along the north side of Lake Street on those three blocks.
Berry said the city has received a $250,000 state Safe Routes to School grant for the project, and the city’s share of the project cost was to have been $118,500.
But when the bids were opened, the lowest was for $536,000. That increased the city’s payment by $268,000.
Berry said there is enough money to cover that extra cost in a city fund that collects half a percent of sales taxes for public improvements.
“The home rule sales tax fund can absorb the increase,” he said.
Berry said the plan is for construction on the project to begin after school lets out for next summer, and have the job done before the kids come back to school in the fall.
