The city of Shawano has about 41 miles of sidewalk, and there’s only so much that can be fixed in a single year. This year, however, the city will be able to make improvements in more areas than usual.
The Shawano Common Council voted unanimously April 8 to accept a bid from Sommers Construction Company, based in Shiocton, but the motion also included working with Safe Step LLC from Hortonville to saw down buckling sidewalk segments instead of replacing them this year or putting them on a waitlist.
The city had budgeted $30,000 for sidewalk replacement this year, but Sommers was the low bid with $28,000. With Safe Step asking for $10,000 for the sidewalk milling, that would have put the total expenses at $38,000. Public works director Mike Mahloch worked with the two companies and got Sommers to shave off $6,000 from its bid and Safe Step $2,000.
“This is another annual program we do,” Mahloch said. “There’s a company we’ve been working with, Safe Step, that does sidewalk grinding. We did this process last year through the downtown area. So any sidewalks that have shifted, they’re not at the point of needing replacement, but if there’s a trip hazard, we will grind those trip hazards down. It’s a way to spruce up your sidewalks without spending the full amount for replacement. It’s more convenient, and you get a lot more done.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
