Millbrook trustees move ahead on two infrastructure projects

MILLBROOK — Two planned construction projects made progress at a meeting of the Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Aug. 28 in Millbrook. A contract was awarded to replace storm drains on Washington Avenue and the project to upgrade the village Wastewater Treatment plant received advice from the town’s bond counsel on how to amend the original 2022 resolution to reflect higher project costs.

Six bids from contractors were received and opened on Friday, Aug. 23. Following consideration of each, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award the contract for Washington Avenue storm drains to the local bidder, Race Septic, for an estimated cost of $90,000, one of the two lowest bids received.

The project will begin at the catch basin near the intersection with Church Street and install about 400 feet of corrugated pipe to connect the five catch basins along the avenue. All five existing catch basins will be replaced with cast iron frame and grates. The basin near the firehouse at the Front Street intersection will be moved away from its present location near the walkway.
Village mayor Tom Collopy reported that funding is in place to accomplish the project.

Following the village’s decision to move forward with the project to upgrade the village’s wastewater treatment plant and to work with the engineering firm of Tighe and Bond of Rhinebeck, the board received advice about next steps from Bond Counsel Robert Smith, conferring by phone.

The board sought to amend the original resolution, passed in July, 2022, that authorized a bond of $7M to complete the work. As cost estimates provided by Tighe and Bond stand at $10M, the resolution must be amended to reflect the current bonding application estimate. No other changes to the resolution are needed.

Smith advised that the maximum bonding period remains at 40 years. As a referendum is needed for a major project, Smith explained the two types of referenda: mandatory and permissive, recommending the latter that can be accomplished through a legal notice process for greater efficiency.