AUBURN -- Roads, sidewalks and dams took up much of the business Thursday night at City Hall.

The Auburn City Council passed a more than a dozen resolutions during its twice-monthly business meeting. The majority of those measures involved the construction or improvement of one of those three pieces of infrastructure.

For the roads, councilors authorized $1.4 million in serial bonds to be issued for financing the 2008-2009 Road Improvement Program. The program proposes to mill, patch, tack and top almost 30 stretches of city roads. City council also approved a resolution to allow City Manager Mark Palesh to advertise bids for the program.

The East Genesee Street Reconstruction Project received some more funds as well. Councilors approved a change order for the amount of $122,015.13 for the project. The added costs are due to state-mandated adjustments for fuel costs, asphalt prices and storm water treatment features, as well as some small improvements to the project.

Although this is the second change order for the project, it is under budget and going well, William Lupien, superintendent of Engineering Services, told the council.

For the walkers, Palesh is now able to advertise bids for the city's 2008 Revolving Loan sidewalk program and the Community Development Block Grant's Sidewalk and Curb Replacement programs.

Councilors also amended and passed a resolution allowing the planning office to apply for at least $300,000 in grant money meant to improve safety along community roads. The original grant application proposed construction of sidewalks along Prospect Street to East Middle School. Council defeated the resolution, but called it back to the floor and resolved to have the application focus on the area around Casey Park instead.

During the meeting, councilors authorized $200,000 in serial bonds to finance initial engineering costs to refurbish the state dam. The dam, located about 1.5 miles downstream from the lake adjacent to the water filtration plant on Pulsifer Drive, was originally built by the state and handed over to the city in the 1960s, according to officials.

Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Citizen.