When Oxford Township moves into its new office complex on Dunlap Road next month, it will have virtually everything to better serve the public ? except for a safety path.
‘We do want to do it, we just don’t have the funds right now,? said Trustee Charles Kniffen, who’s overseen construction of the new township hall as chairman of the Building and Site Committee.
The township board drew criticism last week from the Safety Path Committee because when the new hall is completed and occupied there will be no safety path along Dunlap Road for pedestrians.
‘I know the whole song and dance ‘we don’t have the money, blah, blah, blah,?? said Treasurer Joe Ferrari, who chairs the Safety Path Committee.
A motion by Ferrari calling for the township hall safety path to be installed within one year received no support and died on floor.
Safety Path Committee members said this runs contrary to the township ordinance requiring all new developments to either construct safety paths or pay the township a cash sum in lieu of installing a path to be deposited into a fund dedicated to the construction of a safety path system.
‘It is very difficult for us as a governing body to make rules for others to abide by that we don’t abide by ourselves,? Ferrari said. ‘How can you impose something on a development that you wouldn’t want to do yourself??
‘Are we going to be like our other developers who built these developments and didn’t put safety paths in and didn’t connect them?? asked committee member Jack Curtis.
Kniffen noted that when the ‘original drawings? for the new hall went through the planning commission and township board it was understood that the ‘safety path would be put in in the future.?
‘At the time we did the original estimates on this project, we did not have sufficient funds to put in the safety path,? he explained.
A motion by Kniffen to install the township hall safety path ‘as soon as possible? received no support and died.
Curtis pointed out if the township waits to install a safety path, it will cost the taxpayers more money. The cost of asphalt went from $30 to $60 per ton in four years, he noted.
‘You’re going to ask the township residents to put in a safety path in front of our township hall at a higher rate, when we should have done it now with the money we’ve saved or haven’t spent for this township,? Curtis said.
Curtis noted how he read in the Oxford Leader that the township hall project was way under budget.
It was reported that the township had a budget of $2,238,502 to spend on the new hall, but was going to end up paying $1,957,411 or less for the project.
‘We have saved some money on this project,? Kiffen said. ‘But we haven’t saved enough to put in the safety path.?
When asked how much the safety path would cost considering the new township hall is nearly $300,000 under budget, Kniffen replied, ‘The $300,000 we’re under (budget) is the $300,000 that we? anticipated receiving from the sale of the old township hall on W. Burdick St.
‘We haven’t sold the township hall that was figured into this budget,? he said.
An informal appraisal of the old hall determined it was worth ‘over $300,000,? according to Kniffen. A certified appraisal has not been conducted, nor have any decisions been made about the old building’s fate.
‘The board has not decided whether they’re going to sell the building, what they’re going to do with it,? he said.
As a result, Kniffen said, ‘Yes, we are under budget by $300,000, but it’s $300,000 we don’t have.?