After many years of planning and attempting to secure funds, safety paths extending from M-24 to Christ the King Church are finally coming to W. Drahner Road in Oxford Township.
‘Sixteen years ? I never thought I’d see it. Thank you board members,? exclaimed a very pleased township Treasurer Joe Ferrari following the board’s vote last week to award construction bids for the paths to the Milford-based Commerce Construction & Landscaping.
Ferrari sits on the township’s safety path committee.
Officials voted unanimously to spend $558,604 for the construction and engineering of a 3,900-foot safety path along the north side of W. Drahner Rd. from M-24 to Pontiac Rd.
This expenditure consists of $447,968 in federal stimulus monies previously awarded to the township plus approximately $110,000 from the township’s safety path fund.
The board then voted 4-3 to spend $269,273 for the construction and engineering of safety paths along the north side of W. Drahner Road between Pontiac Road and Christ the King Church.
In both instances, Commerce Construction & Landscaping was the low bidder. The company bid $459,948 to do the M-24 to Pontiac path and $205,064 to do Pontiac to the church.
Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-October, however it could start sooner if all the required permits and easements are quickly obtained. Ferrari noted the township still needs to secure four easements between Chirco Drive and Pontiac Road.
Although he was fine with the safety paths from M-24 to Pontiac and from Christ the King to Chirco Drive, Supervisor Bill Dunn expressed his misgivings about spending more money to fill in the path gap between Chirco and Pontiac.
His concerns were primarily financial.
‘I think this money ought to be put back in the general fund,? said Dunn, noting he’s worried about the 25 percent revenue reduction the township’s expecting in the next two years. ‘We’re going to have to get a hold of our spending because there’s some tough times ahead.?
And make no mistake, Dunn has absolutely no desire whatsoever to raise property taxes to make up for the expected shortfall as Michigan navigates its way through ‘this almost perfect storm? as he put it.
Dunn will cut township employees first.
‘Before I raise taxes like (Gov. Jennifer) Granholm (proposed) today, they’ll be (only) three people working at that township hall and it’s going to be elected officials,? he said. ‘They’ll be cleaning toilets (and) changing light bulbs before any taxes are raised.?
Trustee Mike Spisz shares Dunn’s financial concerns, however, building these safety paths is ‘one of the best things we could do for this community.?
‘I’m just saying the timing is terrible,? Dunn responded.
Spisz noted the township still has a very healthy fund balance. But Dunn’s concerned it won’t be so healthy, if the board keeps spending it.
As of Dec. 31, 2008, the township is sitting on an audited fund balance of $2.16 million. Back in April, the board decided it wanted to maintain a base fund balance of 25 percent or $540,945. Since then, the township has allocated money for various projects.
Officials allocated $150,000 for road paving projects on W. Drahner, Ray and Oakwood roads. They designated $380,000 for the safety path engineering and construction along W. Drahner Road.
The township board also agreed to pay 100 percent of the cost to fix all the road and drainage issues in the Elk View Estates subdivision, east of Baldwin Road.
Although the Elk View fix is estimated to cost approximately $324,000, Trustee Sue Bellairs is worried that the board’s resolution basically amounts to an ‘open-ended contract,? meaning no one’s sure how much it could end up costing the township.
Township officials are planning to revisit the Elk View situation and the municipality’s contribution at their Sept. 16 meeting.
Trustee Melvin Cryderman expressed his concern about spending more money when no one knows how much the township’s going to have to pay the village for its share of the fire department’s assets as part of the lawsuit between the two communities. ‘We might be talking a lot more money,? he said.
For township resident Larry Banachowski, who spoke before the board, the most important thing is getting the entire W. Drahner safety path system done for the many pedestrians who travel along that road, from bicyclists to the OHS cross country team.
He noted that 16 years ago, residents indicated via a survey they considered safety paths to be the Number One priority, yet he’s ‘seen very little done.?
‘If we’re going to do it, let’s just do it all and be done with it now,? Banachowski said.