Sidewalk replacements contract awarded

NEW LONDON – The New London Common Council approved awarding a contract to Jim Fisher, Inc. in the amount of $44,975 for sidewalk replacements.
The contract was awarded at the council’s April 21 meeting.
At the April 13, New London Board of Public Works/Sewer Utility Commission meeting, Robert Garske, director of Public Works for the city of New London, told the commission that the city received four bids for the sidewalk replacements program. He said the four construction companies who submitted bids were “very qualified.”
The bids ranged from the low bid of $44,975 from Jim Fisher, Inc. to $56,700.
The sidewalk replacements project would be south of Beacon Avenue and between Division Street and Wyman Street, Garske said.

Ald. Tim Roberts asked how it is determined which portions of sidewalk need to be shaved or replaced.
Garske said Safe Step LLC walks all the sidewalks in the project area and determines which sidewalk sections need to be shaved or replaced.
“It’s off of measurements and how much the surface area they actually have to cut in order to make it ADA compliant,” Garske said.
New London City Administrator Chad Hoerth added, “The program is something that our insurance company likes too because it’s showing that we are being proactive to making sure that trip hazards and sidewalks, we can’t do everything overnight, but it just shows that we are taking efforts to move forward in a risk management sense and keep sidewalks safe.”