Board to award contract for Franklin Square storm sewer project

NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ The city's Board of Control will meet Dec. 15 to award the contract for the first phase of the storm sewer project to alleviate flooding at Franklin Square on West High Avenue.

Service Director Ron McAbier told council on Monday that the low bidder was Woodford Construction of Leavittsburg, with a bid of $650,332. He noted that the bid was 5% below the engineer's cost estimate.

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Four companies bid on the project, with bids ranging from $650,000 to almost $1 million. McAbier said that was encouraging because a project to rebuild Glen Drive received no bids.

In other action, Mayor Joel Day reported that two strategic plans are in the works.

Money left over from the closing of the New Philadelphia Business and Community Association is being used to pay the Aegis 360 consulting firm of Akron to create a strategic plan to guide downtown improvements.

The mayor encouraged people to share their thoughts on the improvements by taking an online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XWJCYL9. A link can be found on the city's Facebook page. A steering committee made up of business and community leaders will review the results and use the data to develop the plan.

The other strategic plan is being created to help the Economic Development and Finance Alliance of Tuscarawas County (port authority) improve its economic development efforts, Day said. Assisting in that plan's development is consultant Mark Babash of the Ohio Economic Development Institute.

"I have participated in two days of the development sessions," the mayor said. "I've found them to be very productive. The plan that results from them should give the EDFA a clear direction for focusing its future economic development efforts for our county."

As New Philadelphia prepares for the Christmas holiday season, children can visit Santa Claus at his house in downtown New Philadelphia in front of Gavin's on the Square restaurant from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17, Day said.

They can also write letters to Santa until Dec. 18. His North Pole mailbox is located next to Santa's House. "Don't forget to include a return address on the envelope to receive a reply from the Jolly Old Elf," Day said.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Four bids received for Franklin Square storm sewer project