RIPLEY — Members of the Ripley Town Board received a presentation from Robert Ambrose of the state Department of Transportation on the culvert rehabilitation project at their recent meeting.

Ambrose represents DOT Region 5, which includes Erie, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. He told council members that the large culvert rehabilitation project will involve the replacement and rehabilitation of 13 large culverts at various locations.

“We will be replacing four culverts in southern Erie County,” he said. “The remaining ones will be in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.”

The $2.8 million project is underway, Ambrose said, and the culvert on Shortman Road in Ripley is scheduled to be replaced with a box culvert.

Ambrose told council members that, in order to do the replacement on Shortman Road, it will be necessary to detour traffic for three or four weeks. He said the planned detour would be about 5.3 miles.

“We will try to avoid closing Shortman Road during any festivals or special events,” he said.

When asked by a member of the public how the project can be completed in such a short period of time, Ambrose responded that some of the work will be done in advance, such as the relocation of the water line.

Town Supervisor Doug Bowen said he was informed that bid openings would be in April 2023. He inquired about the beginning of the project.

“It is likely the actual construction will take place in 2024,” Ambrose said. “We can’t tell the contractors how to run their schedule.”

Bowen also asked if there would be one contractor for the entire project and if Ambrose knew who would be the inspector on the project. Ambrose replied that one contractor will be used for all 13 locations, including Ripley.

“We don’t know who the inspector will be,” he added.

In response to a question from the public, Ambrose said the relocation of the water line will de done by the contractor and will be paid for by the state. “We will have a meeting with the contractor in the summer of 2023, and we will keep you in the loop,” he said.

In other business, Bowen reviewed the bids which the town received for the old dump truck.

“As you know, we put our old water and sewer dump truck out to bid,” he said. “We received three bids, one for $3,750, one for $3,800 and one for $4,850. The water and sewer superintendent is recommending we accept the highest bid.”

Council members voted to sell the dump truck to the individual who placed a bid of $4,850.

Bowen also asked council members to approve the purchase of a plow and lights for the new truck. A motion was made to accept the plow package from Advanced Truck for $8,072, with installation not to exceed $600. Council members approved the purchase.

Bowen raised the matter of receiving bids for work to be done next year at Ripley Beach. Regarding concrete work for the picnic pavilion, council members decided on Nov. 18 as the date to pick up bid specs and Dec. 6 as the date for bids to come back.

Bowen noted that the town is also seeking site work proposals for Ripley Beach. Again, council decided on Nov. 18 as the date to pick up bid specs and Dec. 6 as the date for bids to come back.

Bowen also reminded everyone in attendance that the public workshop for the town comprehensive plan is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Quincy Wine Cellars from 5:30 to 7:30.

“It is designed so people can come and go,” he said.

Bowen told council members that, regarding the South Ripley Solar Project, the Office of Renewable Energy Siting judges held oral arguments about the battery energy storage systems component of the project.

The arguments lasted about 1 1/2 hours, Bowen said. Basically, he said, the judges said the BESS law does not apply.

“This is inaccurate, based on the town’s understanding of the facts,” Wisniewski replied.

The judges handed down an 82-page decision, Bowen said. According to a summary prepared by Wisniewski, the crux of the decision was that “the town cannot prohibit BESS, because any and all BESS facilities are critical to the state’s renewable energy goals. This means ORES’ official position is that no town in the state has the ability to prohibit BESS.”

Wisniewski went on to add that he does not think that ORES has the ability to “preempt all BESS laws in the state without reviewing the specific costs and benefits on a case by case basis, but this is effectively what the decision does.”