OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Brian McAvoy described a recent miscommunication during the bidding process for a building project as “a little hiccup” at a recent meeting.

ARKWRIGHT — Nothing has come easy with building projects in the town of Arkwright. The latest project experienced what Town Supervisor Brian McAvoy called “a little hiccup.”

The Town sought bids for the cladding of its masonry building. Town officials reached out to suppliers to purchase the materials necessary for the project, and after finalizing plans for the work, the project was put out to bid. Three contractors submitted bids for the work.

McAvoy said the Town received “conflicting information” regarding the timing requirement of a state certification regulation as it pertained to the project. One contractor was under the impression that the certification must be presented before bidding the project, while the other two bidders believed the certification must be provided once a bid was approved.

“The three contractors that bid didn’t all have the same story,” McAvoy said. He also noted that the information provided by the Department of Labor was not clear.

McAvoy said, “in the spirit of fairness”, the Town has rejected all three bids and will re-bid the project. The closing date is May 2. Certification will be required with the bid submission.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to be compliant. If it costs us money, it costs us money. We can’t skirt this stuff,” McAvoy said. “… We’re going to do it right.”

The Town will also be receiving assistance from Job Corps students with painting of various areas throughout the Town’s buildings. “It only costs us paint. It’s low risk and it’s a good thing to help those kids out. We’re happy to do it,” McAvoy said.

The Town also received three bids for mowing of Town cemeteries. The Town Board approved the lowest bid, from Valley Boys Outdoor Services, in the amount of $200 for each day of mowing.

The Town has received its recently purchased automated external defibrillator. The device will be located at the Highway Department building for use if needed.

A 1977 Oshkosh truck with plow and wing was declared as surplus. The Town has also received its CHIPS money and is still anticipating its Christy Road grant reimbursement.

The Town Board – with the exclusion of McAvoy – will be handling the Town’s upcoming labor contract negotiations. Councilman Larry Ball will be the chairman of the negotiation committee. McAvoy asked the committee to focus on the language of the contract, specifically pertaining to onboarding new employees.

The Town will also pursue enrolling in the pro housing community program through New York State. The Town believes in doing so, it would help with securing grant funds down the road.

A text message notification system through Slick Text is now operational in the Town. Pertinent information will be distributed to Town residents who enroll in the program. More information is available through the Town Clerk’s office.

The next meeting of the Arkwright Town Board is set for Monday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m.