MONROE - Alderman Charles Schuringa wants to know whether making changes to the 8th/9th Street reconstruction project will waste money the city already has spent.
He raised the question during Monday's Monroe Board of Public Works meeting. Schuringa noted the city this year has spent more than $56,000 for surveying and other design work that may become outdated and unusable by the time the city takes up the project.
"We need to get our priorities together," Schuringa said. "We paid out this money, and a year or two later, (will) we have to spend more money for the same items?"
The city is considering postponing or scaling back the project due to a budget crunch. Schuringa's concerned that will let previous work go to waste.
"We have a budget problem and I think we should address it as such," he added.
The surveying and design work has been done by Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH®), a multidisciplined firm of engineers, architects, planners and scientists hired in April 2003 when the project was initiated. With the expected cancellation of the project, SEH agreed to close the contract for a $100 fee and to give the city possession of all work completed, Mayor Ron Marsh said.
"It bothers me that we're spending all this money," Schuringa said.
"And not doing anything with it," Alderman Neal Hunter added.
Director of Public Works Kelly Finkenbinder explained that the work already done could be used, "in the future, if you decide to continue with that project."
"These plans can be used. As a whole, on a different scale, some work can be used, but more design work" would be needed, "unless the city does the work with city workers," Finkenbinder said.
Schuringa agreed to wait for department heads to devised a smaller plan to see how much of the surveying and design work would be used.
At a meeting Nov. 17, the Board of Public Works voted to have department heads look into modifying the original plans, one that would scale back the work and without widening the street. Department heads were asked to determine the costs from Seventh to 20th Avenue, and to include the cost of a bond for funding the work.
Schuringa was absent from that meeting.
Marsh favored "scrapping (the original project) and cutting our losses" at the Nov. 17 meeting, and made that recommendation to the committee, stating the city no longer can afford the project.
The cost for the original project had risen to more than $3.5 million to complete, with the city responsible for $2.6 million, after federal and state grants.
On Monday, Marsh still did not know whether an Environmental Report had been completely signed yet, the last delay in the process of acquiring state and federal grants.
The Eighth and Ninth Street reconstruction project has been delayed for almost two and a half years by federal and state regulations, mostly because plans to widen the street interfered with historic preservation efforts.
He raised the question during Monday's Monroe Board of Public Works meeting. Schuringa noted the city this year has spent more than $56,000 for surveying and other design work that may become outdated and unusable by the time the city takes up the project.
"We need to get our priorities together," Schuringa said. "We paid out this money, and a year or two later, (will) we have to spend more money for the same items?"
The city is considering postponing or scaling back the project due to a budget crunch. Schuringa's concerned that will let previous work go to waste.
"We have a budget problem and I think we should address it as such," he added.
The surveying and design work has been done by Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH®), a multidisciplined firm of engineers, architects, planners and scientists hired in April 2003 when the project was initiated. With the expected cancellation of the project, SEH agreed to close the contract for a $100 fee and to give the city possession of all work completed, Mayor Ron Marsh said.
"It bothers me that we're spending all this money," Schuringa said.
"And not doing anything with it," Alderman Neal Hunter added.
Director of Public Works Kelly Finkenbinder explained that the work already done could be used, "in the future, if you decide to continue with that project."
"These plans can be used. As a whole, on a different scale, some work can be used, but more design work" would be needed, "unless the city does the work with city workers," Finkenbinder said.
Schuringa agreed to wait for department heads to devised a smaller plan to see how much of the surveying and design work would be used.
At a meeting Nov. 17, the Board of Public Works voted to have department heads look into modifying the original plans, one that would scale back the work and without widening the street. Department heads were asked to determine the costs from Seventh to 20th Avenue, and to include the cost of a bond for funding the work.
Schuringa was absent from that meeting.
Marsh favored "scrapping (the original project) and cutting our losses" at the Nov. 17 meeting, and made that recommendation to the committee, stating the city no longer can afford the project.
The cost for the original project had risen to more than $3.5 million to complete, with the city responsible for $2.6 million, after federal and state grants.
On Monday, Marsh still did not know whether an Environmental Report had been completely signed yet, the last delay in the process of acquiring state and federal grants.
The Eighth and Ninth Street reconstruction project has been delayed for almost two and a half years by federal and state regulations, mostly because plans to widen the street interfered with historic preservation efforts.