Monroe sidewalk project takes step forward after price drops

Improvements have been approved in front of the police station and post office on Main Street, Morton said.

But when it came to constructing a 700-foot sidewalk on Britton Lane between Tennessee and Northwestern avenues in front of Ohio Living, the city and Ohio Living couldn’t agree on the cost of the land acquisition, Morton said.

Ohio Living wanted $122,000 for the land, while the construction cost of the sidewalk was estimated at $143,000, according to Morton.

Speaking at a city council meeting in September, Morton said $122,000 was “a lot of money to pay” for a right-of-way.

He called it a great project, but that cost was “a huge premium to make it come true.”

Mayor Keith Funk, at the same meeting, said the sidewalk would be nice to have, but “not a need to have at that cost.”

Then at Tuesday night’s meeting, Morton told city council that Ohio Living had agreed to donate the land as long as the city reimbursed it $55,000 to cover the cost of replacing the landscape, irrigation system and the brick wall.

Morton said the $55,000 hasn’t been budgeted and council may be asked to approve the money at an upcoming meeting.

Then Finance Director Jake Burton said the money may be available because other city projects came in under budget.

Funk said the plan “makes sense to me.”

Morton said the sidewalk will benefit those who live in the Mount Pleasant community and residents in the neighboring community.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Law Director Jack B. Hemenway II swore in Jay Marlow, the city’s newest city council member, Tuesday night.

Marlow was selected to fill the unexpired term that became available after member John Centers resigned recently.

Marlow will serve until Dec. 31.

He serves as a senior human resources business partner at Worthington Industries in Monroe, where he has worked for 15 years.