HORTONVILLE - A discussion on changes to the Town of Delaware Highway Department Salt Shed continued at the town board's regular meeting Wednesday night.

Supervisor Steve Lundgren proposed cost-saving measures including reducing the length of the shed by ten feet, and substituting asphalt paving for concrete. He said this would save approximately $69,000 on the project.

However some board members and Town Attorney Ken Klein objected to the changes, saying it could be cause for litigation against the town by other contractors who bid on the project.

“We have a signed contract with a contractor to do it. Everything is in place,” said Councilman Al Steppich. “I'm not willing to risk the grant money and other legal obligations where a bidder can contest different scenarios.”

Lundgren said he did not believe that is a serious concern, based on his experience in construction.

But Klein said the proposed changes are “significant.”

“The question is whether you're violating the competitive bidding requirement of the statute. You can make a change order where the changes involved are merely incidental to the original contract and the law requires the necessity for changes in public contracts as construction goes forward. That's not what you're talking about here,” he said.

Lundgren and Councilman Chris Hermmann were in favor of the changes, but the board ultimately voted against it.

Former Delaware Supervisor Ed Sykes said, “The building size was based on what the engineers and [Highway Department Supervisor] Bill [Eschenberg] thought we needed. If we reduce it are we going to have a building that's going to be insufficient for what our needs are?”

The cost of the project is $680,000. The town has received grants totaling $493,995.

The board then shifted their focus to the highway garage. The town contracted with Delaware Engineering to design the building. Lundgren proposed some changes to save on costs, such as going from14,000 square feet to 11,000.

Lundgren said the changes will save $600,000.

A town resident, Scott DuBois, said he was there to draw attention to the high cost of the project.

“The highway garage can be tweaked and made affordable for the taxpayers. That's excess if it's going to be $4 million for eight people,” he said.

DuBois is a comptroller for the Town of Fallsburg and said he has a lot of experience with highway garage projects.

Lundgren proposed that the board form a committee of him and Councilman John Gain to work with Delaware Engineering going forward.

The board approved the formation of the committee, as well as the proposed changes to the garage.