LINCOLN — The Lincoln Village Council voted to accept bids for a village sidewalk repair project but also to table awarding a bid until the November meeting.

This action, which took place during council’s Monday meeting, is so the council can further research the companies that bid on the project, according to Village President Phil Jordan.

Jordan said bids were solicited for the repair of crumbling section of sidewalk on Main Street between Lake Street and Second Street in the village.

According to Jordan, the sidewalk has been in disrepair for nearly 30 years and is a hazard to pedestrians.

At the meeting, Jordan opened two bids, one from Lincoln Sand and Gravel, which bid $26,500 for labor and materials in the sidewalk repair process. The second bid came from Environmental Excavating and Contracting of Alpena for $19,909.

Members of the council were surprised at the cost of the bids for the project, including Trustee Amanda Zielinski who asked whether the council had to accept the bids.

Jordan said the council did not have to accept the bids on the project and was given advice that the project should be bid out for this fall, but actually be conducted in the fall.

“We’re running out of time to do cement work (this fall),” he said.

Jordan also said the council could rebid for the project next year even though the funding had been budgeted. Village attorney Dave Cook said the funding would have to be put back into the general fund and then budgeted again for the following year.

He said he knew the project would be expensive, even though it was only half of the sidewalk that needed repaired. Jordan said although the whole thing should be done, there were several other road projects that need to be done in the coming years, making road funding tight.

“We have three main road projects, one in 2019 is for Barlow Road to Main Street, a very expensive project, almost $200,000 and that is just an estimate,” Jordan said.

Another road project concerned Main Street and Barlow Road and was estimated at $200,000. A third concerned repaving Traverse Bay Road in the village.

“The other side of this is whenever you’re spending your road funds you have to have at least 1 percent of your total go toward pedestrian issues,” he said.

Cook said it could be risky to wait until the spring for more bids.

“You could get a lower bid in the spring, it’s possible, but you might get a higher bid too,” he said.

Jordan said the project needs to be done.

“I wouldn’t feel so strong about it but it’s the worst section in the village. People shouldn’t even be using the section,” he said.

Zielinski asked that before bids are awarded more research needed to be done on the Alpena company.

Trustee Sara Healy cast a motion to accept both bids but to table awarding a contract until the November meeting so more research could be done. The motion passed unanimously.

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.