Board moves to rebid Racer Ditch clearing after contractor missed scope

Dennis Rogers, a Dunkirk-area resident, told the Delaware County Drainage Board on Aug. 13 that clearing work on the Racer Ditch remains incomplete after a contractor missed the original 90‑day timeline and a subsequent 30‑day extension. “It’s not done,” the board’s surveyor told the meeting, adding that much of the cleared material had not been removed and many trees that should have been cut remained on site.
The surveyor said the contractor had cut only a small portion of the required bank width and had not chipped, hauled or burned debris as required under the contract. The surveyor also reported talking to other contractors who estimated the scope would be substantially higher if done correctly, noting previous bids of roughly $19,000, $39,000 and near $60,000.
Board members discussed rebidding the job. The surveyor said the work now requires more debris removal than in the original scope and recommended re‑quoting the job, contacting contractors with relevant experience, and including clearer inspection expectations. “It is over a $10,000 project,” the surveyor said, recommending a requote and telling staff to get specifications ready for the next month so bids can be opened.
The board also discussed contract administration: members asked staff to add a liquidated‑time provision and specified inspection frequency. The surveyor proposed retaining a 90‑day completion requirement in the specs and noted in prior, similar projects he typically visited the site two or three times during completion and conducted a final post‑invoice inspection.
There was also discussion of a claim for $19,000 submitted by an Arnold contractor for work that the surveyor said had not been completed; the board indicated it had not yet approved claims for this project and would consider next steps after rebidding. Board members instructed staff to prepare updated specs, reach out to additional contractors, and reopen bidding with explicit timelines and inspection requirements. No final contractor award was made at the meeting.