The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Coulee Dam will get some sidewalks fixed when a big project moves forward this year, the result of a vote to move ahead despite higher-than-expected bids on the street project to revamp an area on the east side of town, including Cedar Street.

The council accepted a bid from Moreno and Nelson Construction for $820,000 for the work, about 5 percent of which the city must pay with its own funds, about $4,900. The rest comes from the state Transportatin Investment Board. The highest bid came in at more than $1 million. Engineers had estimated $730,000.

The city council awarded the bid Feb. 28, after a lengthy discussion on whether to accept the project, which includes paying the contractor to fix varioius sidewalks in town. The city budgeted $50,000 to do that work, but Councilmember Fred Netzel objected to paying that money to contractors instead of the city crew.

Councilmember Keith St. Jeor said the town would get more for the money by using the concrete contractor already mobilized for the larger job.

Netzel moved and Councilmember Bob Poch seconded the motion to accept the bid and move forward with the project. It passed unanimously.

A survey of the town’s sidewalks mapped about a thousand spots that could use work. Some of the worst in town are along Ferry and Stevens Avenues, which Netzel has been advocating to fix for years.

The bulk of the work will happen in June, with some pre-construction activity occuring in April and May.