Several areas in the vicinity of Woodward Avenue are getting new sidewalks and curbs because they were damaged by the ongoing work involved with separating storm and sanitary sewer lines.
In emails to The Courier-Times, Eddie Hager has said the job isn’t being done to code, that storm water drains are higher than the nearby street surface, and that some of the sidewalks and driveway entrances aren’t being poured thick enough. Hager is a former candidate for Henry Township trustee.
“Let’s let them finish the job before we start criticizing what’s been done,” York said. “I’ve been out on the job site every day and Dave Barker, director of public works, has been out there just about every day checking the work and I’m confident the contractors are doing a good job. Everything is being done to code and they aren’t taking any shortcuts.”
York conceded there are several locations where storm water drains appear to be higher than the street surface. The same holds true for the way curbs and driveways match up with the nearby street surface.
“As far as the streets, what’s been put down is just the base coat. They still have to place a two-inch thick top layer. The curbs still have to be backfilled. This will be a project that looks immaculate when it’s done,” the mayor said.
City code calls for four inch thick concrete sidewalks and six inch thicknesses at driveways.
The work is all guaranteed and that if the city isn’t satisfied with any part of it when the job is complete, the contractor, Meinders Concrete Construction of Milan, will be required to come back and fix it.
Chad Meinders, who owns Meinders Concrete Construction, confirmed that Barker and York have been daily visitors to job sites and said they have checked the work being done several times a day.
“We’re using the state Department of Transportation standards for thickness and mix design for the cement, so we’re basing our work on state specs and pre-qualified mixes from IMI, our concrete supplier, and we’re basing our quantities on the engineer’s estimates,” Meinders said.
He also said his company’s work is warrantied.
“Between the city, the engineering and the general contractor, everything’s going smoothly and as planned with no major setbacks except the weather, which hasn’t been very cooperative,” Meinders said. His company has been doing concrete work for seven years, including several similar municipal jobs.
York encourages anyone with questions or concerns about the ongoing project to call his office at 765-529-760
