Greene County commissioners accept bid for construction at Wisecarver Recreation Area
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The Greene County commissioners Thursday awarded a rebid to Raffle Construction for the first phase of the Wisecarver Recreation Area in the amount of $952,545.
The commissioners also approved a change order with Macklin Engineering in the amount of $35,000 for additional services to be performed at Wisecarver Recreation Area Softball Facility & Hiking Trails.
Commissioner Chairman Mike Belding said the improvement project includes three league-quality softball fields, fencing and dugouts. The 425 acres of land will also include seven miles of off-road bicylcing, two camping areas and an ADA-accessible nature trail with signage.
鈥淲e are going to have it set up like fairways on a golf course,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are also going to have a walk-through driving range with signage like state parks have. There is also water on the land so we are going to have canoe and kayak launch ramps. People will also have an opportunity for site seeing and bird watching.鈥�
Preliminary plans for the project in west Waynesburg were drawn up in 2008 or 2009, but the project was delayed for several years because of the high cost. At that time, the county applied for $3.2 million in grant funding through the U.S. Economic Department Administration (EDA), but the funding was denied.
鈥淭he commissioners thought that the project was vital to the community so we revived it in 2020,鈥� Belding said. 鈥淭he project will improve economic growth and bring visitors into the area.鈥�
He said that the project was put out for bid in 2021.
鈥淏ut when the original contract was started, they ran into all kinds of problems,鈥� he said, explaining why the project was rebid. 鈥淚t just wasn鈥檛 financially feasible to do it at that time.鈥�
Belding said construction on the project will begin within the next month or two.
鈥淲e are about a year behind because of the all of the technical issues,鈥� he said.
The rebid is pending engineering, controller and solicitor approval.
In another matter, the commissioners approved a proposal from Remington & Vernick Engineers to design, bid and construct the Silveus Building Project, a business incubator project, at a total cost of $164,400 plus expenses not to exceed $5,000.
The money will be paid out of Act 13 funds and used as a match to a USDA grant in the amount of $1.4 million.
In other action, the commissioners approved the following Forgivable Advance Small Business Assistance (FASBA) applications through the Community Development Block Grant programs in the following amounts: Gemms, $50,000; Hinerman Inc., $50,000; Quality Inn, $50,000; Kings Transit, $16,000.
The approval is contingent upon financial analysis to approve the FASBA application.
In other business, the commissioners:
n Approved the nomination of Jeffrey Marshall, the county蘑菇视频 chief clerk, to continue as a member of the Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board, effective Aug. 1, 2022 to July 31, 2024. He will be representing the government, economic and community development category.
n Approved a request from Carmichaels Historical Society for a financial donation in the amount of $7,500 to assist in opening of the Olde Mill Museum.
n Accepted the 2021 county audit completed by Maher Duessel. There were no issues found, officials said.
n Approved agreements for the care and maintenance of 1,060 veterans鈥� graves at $3 per grave for a total amount of $3,180.