MONTICELLO — Paving projects are set to begin in town as soonas the weather allows, according to Mayor David Nichols.

The $77,000 projects will use a combination of city tax dollarsand monies from an economic development grant.

MONTICELLO — Paving projects are set to begin in town as soonas the weather allows, according to Mayor David Nichols.

The $77,000 projects will use a combination of city tax dollarsand monies from an economic development grant.

“This continues our commitment of paving roads either through ajoint project with county supervisors or projects of our own,”Nichols said. “We have paved roads every one of the last fouryears.”

Most streets in the current project are in the town’s centralbusiness district. They include North and South Erwin Street andSouth Columbia Street. The cost to pave those streets is estimatedat approximately $50,000, Nichols said, and they will be paid fromthe general fund budget.

The balance of the project will be covered by an economicdevelopment grant to pave a street connecting the new Liberty Innwith the town, he said.

All of the streets in the project have already seen some work,Nichols said.

“We go in and repair any problems before the road is paved toprevent any deterioration of the new road,” the mayor said. “Thislengthens the life of that road.”

A project completion date has not been set, Nichols said, anddepends greatly on the weather.

“We want to get this done as soon as possible,” he said. “If theweather cooperates, it shouldn’t take long.”

In other news, town aldermen are studying the Monticello WaterSystem Analysis report they received at their regular meeting Feb.20.

“This report tells us what size lines are needed to giveresidents the most efficient use of available water supplies,”Nichols said.

The field work which formed the basis of the analysis wasconducted last year by knowledgeable volunteers as the first phaseof a STEP grant. By using volunteers, Nichols said, the town wasable to reduce the cost of creating the analysis from$20,000-30,000 to approximately $7,000.

Once the analysis is studied, the mayor said, they can move intothe second phase.

“The next step is within the next 30-45 days,” he said. “That isto bring the volunteers back together and begin planning which areato begin laying new water lines and installing new firehydrants.”

The meeting time should be set at the next regularly scheduledmeeting of the town board, Nichols said. Ward 1 Alderman JerryGoode and Ward 2 Alderman Ed Melzer co-chair administration of theSTEP grant.