NORWICH – Making payroll has been tight for the Chenango County Department of Public Works lately as $1.4 million in state and federal reimbursements are still out.

DPW Director Randy Gibbon told members of the Public Works Committee Sept. 18 that the New York State Transportation Department owed the county $800,000 for work completed on state Rt. 12 along the Halfway House Bridge juncture. In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Association was scheduled to reimburse the department $700,000 for the Race Road Bridge. Gibbon said that project could be completed this week.

A $1.7 million reimbursement from the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program came through over the weekend.

“It hurts our budgeting when we don’t get reimbursement when we expect it from them,” Gibbon said.

The director pointed to NYSDOT reimbursements that were previously approved, but then subject to review again. “We have received notice from the DOT that we will hear their decision soon,” he told the committee. Everything was already in place for payment, so I don’t know what’s going on.”

Gibbon said his department had more than $1 million in outstanding bills.

The Race Road Bridge is scheduled to open to traffic by week’s end. Other road work on the docket this week includes shoulder improvements on county Routes 9, 10, 24 and 39; setting a concrete box culvert on county Rt. 23A, creating a detour for county Rt. 28 in order to install a box culvert on 38; and continuing the bicycle and hiking pathways along county Rt. 32 from Oxford to Greene.