Dover gets the ball rolling on $7 million in projects and purchases
DOVER – City officials this week are setting the stage for more than $7 million in projects and purchases.
The biggest among those discussed at Monday’s City Council meeting is a $3 million sewer project on the north side of Dover.
Mayor Shane Gunnoe announced the city received a $615,000 state grant toward the project and last week applied for $2.4 million in federal grants. He says the project would expand and upgrade a more than 50-year-old sewer system for a growing north end. He says the sewers, added in 1973, were designed when Dover’s northern development stopped near the city park. He says the system is nearing capacity with continued growth on the north side.
Gunnoe hopes work can begin late this year or early next year.
City Council Monday also approved the purchase of a $1,174,475 fire truck, but the city won’t likely see it until 2028 because it will take that long to assemble. Gunnoe says the city wanted to lock in a price now before it goes up because of tariffs or other issues.
Meanwhile, Service Director Dave Douglas announced contracts for a few other big projects – a $919,000 power line extension to the incoming Schaeffler plant, a $450,000 traffic signal upgrade for two downtown area intersections, and $1 million in paving, mostly on the south side of the city.
Council also approved $900,000 in renovations for the future new city hall at the former First Federal Bank building. Gunnoe hopes the city can move in later this year then begin renovating the existing city hall and auditor’s office for the expansion of the police and fire departments.
There is also an $87,400 purchase of an abandoned rail line that runs along I-77 to use for better access to the city’s retention pond and other infrastructure needs like stormwater management.