Bids for a basketball court planned for construction in Flower Hill’s village park have been about twice as high as the project’s budget, trustees said on Monday.
The board allocated $150,000 – split between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 fiscal years – plus $50,000 from a state grant to complete the project, but trustees said bids have come in upwards of $340,000.
“We owe it to our residents to ask why the cost is so high,” Flower Hill Mayor Elaine Phillips said. “We think it is a very important project, but at the same time we want to be fiscally prudent here.”
Engineer Charlie Vachris said the village has pre-existing relationships with each of the bidders, whose identities and bids were not disclosed, and that he would soon meet with the lowest bidder to renegotiate the project’s plans to cut costs.
Trustees said they would consider the elimination of a handball court, but said they would try to avoid that option.
“It’s something to think about going forward, but our residents pay tax dollars so they can have things in the community like this,” Phillips said. “The question is whether we can do this while maintaining our budget for the project.”
Phillips said she wants the project completed by the end of the summer, as it had received approval and grants more than a year ago.
The project would take approximately six weeks to complete, Vachris said.
In other developments:
• Trustees announced that Deputy Mayor Tab Hauser plans to step down from the board after its June 2 meeting.
Hauser joined the board 2002 after serving the village’s board of zoning and appeals for two years. He was named the village’s deputy mayor in 2012.
• The board set a June 2 public hearing to consider whether to allow residents to put up lawn signs advertising the contracting companies working on their home additions.
• Trustees also approved the village park as the start and finish lines for the annual Katie Oppo Run, which is tentatively scheduled for June 15.
