A paving project is one step closer to getting started in the county seat.

During a meeting Monday night at Brownstown Town Hall, the town council approved awarding the project to All Star Paving of Seymour.

Bernie Hauersperger with FPBH Inc. recommended the town accept the company’s base bid of $424,416.26 and take in two alternates for a total of $443,896.18.

All Star Paving was the lowest of three bids submitted. The other base bids were $432,556 from Dave O’Mara Contractor Inc. of North Vernon and $1,038,400 from Milestone Contractors LP of Columbus.

In March, Brownstown learned it would receive $350,124.75 from the Next Level Roads: Community Crossings Initiative.

To qualify for funding, local governments must provide local matching funds — 50 percent for larger communities or 25 percent for smaller communities — from a funding source approved for road and bridge construction. They also must submit an Indiana Department of Transportation-approved asset management plan for maintaining existing roads and bridges.

State law requires 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer.

Brownstown’s match will be $110,974.05.

Hauersperger, who helped Brownstown with the application process, said work will be completed on Ashland, Ewing and Bridge streets.

The largest project is Ashland Street, which has a maximum funding amount of $243,874 and includes replacing curbs and gutters and removing aging cracks and patches.

Ashland Street, which connects Commerce and Beech streets, has been worn down from increased traffic and has shown signs of blocking, raveling, cracking and roadway failure.

Hauersperger said All Star Paving’s bid came in at $223,111.33, and he recommended adding an alternate to replace curbing for $5,000 for a total of $228,111.33.

There was another alternate to put in new curbing all the way down the street, but it would have exceeded the funding amount by more than $29,000, which the town would have to cover without any match.

“You’re welcome to obviously pay the full 100 percent for that extra curbing. We’re not going to recommend it just because we want to keep you guys at your match and get your 75 percent money from the state on as much as possible,” Hauersperger said.

The maximum funding for Ewing Street is $85,058. All Star Paving’s bid came in at $67,433.83, and adding an alternate for an extra half-inch of pavement for $14,479.92 makes the total $81,913.75.

“We think that’s pretty much kind of a no-brainer to go ahead and take that alternate, and that probably gets you an extra five years with pavement life on that street,” Hauersperger said of it also coming in under the funding limit.

Bridge Street’s maximum funding is $137,901 and has no alternates, and All Star Paving’s bid was $133,871.10.

Per the contract, All Star Paving has until Nov. 1 to complete the project. As soon as the weather allows, the company plans to get concrete and piping done first, and then the paving will start.

Hauersperger said he will bring the final contract to the council’s next meeting, set for 6 p.m. June 17, for approval. The contract has to be turned in to the state by July 1.