BATH TOWNSHIP – The 2019 road construction season is now underway in Bath Township, and the board of trustees has approved a to-do list of road improvement projects that will add up to an estimated $358,400.
During the May 1 township meeting, Township Road Supervisor Michael Rhoades reviewed the proposed list of projects with township trustees that ranged from major road construction to general maintenance and repairs. Rhoades told trustees that he had inspected all of the roads in the township in an effort to determine where the township needed to spend budgeted funding this year.
The 2019 road budget includes $200,000 in annual property tax revenue generated from a 5-year, 2.2-mill road levy voters approved in November 2016 and approximately $228,000 from a 2.5-mill inside levy, according to Township Fiscal Officer Elaine Brown.
In April, township trustees voted to enter into a contract agreement with the Greene County Engineer’s Office to participate in the competitive bid contracts for the Collective Paving Program for 2019. Bath Township Trustee John Martin stated that the township would see significant savings by participating in the group-purchasing program and contracting John R. Jurgensen Company to complete the repaving projects.
Plans are underway to mill and repave Augusta, Greenbriar, Inverness, Pinehurst, and St. Andrews Drives in the Country Club Subdivision for the estimated price of $107,500. The township will also mill and repave West Armstrong Road for an estimated cost of $78,000 and Kitridge Road for $106,000.
“They (paving contractors) are ready to start on those projects as soon as we are ready to go,” Rhoades said.
The township has scheduled a number of maintenance projects for seven township roads as well. Rhoades said he had chosen Leader Machinery Co. LTD to apply a durapatch pavement treatment to Herr and Mud Run Roads and a section of Bath Road. According to Rhoades, durapaching is a cost effective tool that the township road department uses to repair potholes and cracks and to extend the life of the roads for several years.
This project will cost the township around $11,000.
“I talked to Mark Leader, who is the owner of the company, and he and I drove around and inspected the roads. We determined that approximately 1,000 gallons of durapatch would be enough to treat these roads, plus other township roads as well,” said Rhoades.
Rhoades added that he had contacted Pavement Technology Inc. to apply Reclamite, an asphalt rejuvenator, to Byron Road, Clearcreek Trail, Ravenwood Drive, and a portion of Bath Road. He explained that the petroleum maltene-based agent would preserve and restore the asphalt pavement on these roads, which were milled and repaved in 2018. This project comes with a price tag of $53,000.
“I have also talked with the president of the company, and the township can participate in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Cooperative Purchasing Program which will save us some money,” Rhoades said.
Martin asked Rhoades if some of the roads treated with the Reclamite would require repainting. Rhoades said the Reclamite dries clear, which allow the painted lines to remain visible.
The township will also purchase 4,000 pounds of crack seal from DJL Materials for a price of $2,900. Rhoades noted that the road crew uses a crack seal treatment on asphalt pavements that are showing the first signs of cracking. The crack seal prevents moisture and incompressible materials from entering the cracks in the pavement and reduces potholes and payment failure.
Township Trustee Tom Pitstick asked Rhoades if the dry aggregate was included in the total cost of the durapatch treatment, and Rhoades said it was. Pitstick also enquired about what type of method the road crew would use to repair deeper potholes on Herr Road. Rhoades said the road crew would be taking a different approach when repairing the deep-based potholes and would be soliciting the help of the City of Fairborn Road Department with the project.
“They have a milling head on a bobcat, and they are going to mill out those areas about 2 inches deep. We will then go in and patch over those areas with asphalt,” said Rhoades.
Township Trustee Steve Ross asked Brown if there were any funds set aside to cover any unforeseen expenses. Brown said that the township had a contingency amount, which represented a small amount of the budget. Ross pointed out that the trustees budgeted nearly $500,000 for road improvements in 2018, which was a significant amount, compared to the 2019 road budget.
In a 3-0 vote, township trustees voted to appropriate an additional $60,000 from the township’s general fund for the 2019 road construction budget.
“Thanks to Bath Township voters and their support of our road levy, the township will continue to improve our roads this summer. Milling and paving with asphalt is now our preferred treatment in residential areas,” Ross said.
The Bath Township Board of Trustees will meet again in regular session at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15 at the township office, 1006 Yellow Springs-Fairfield Rd. in Fairborn.
