It's ready to go and a club member told me this morning that Sno-Packers are feeling pretty confident that the Town of Alabama Board is going to approve the agreement with Genesee County this week that will enable the club to reinstall its bridge on Sour Springs Road.

Members of Genesee ARC's Challenger program had a chance to ride snowmobiles and all-terrain winter vehicles today, courtesy the Genesee Sno-Packers snowmobile club.  The annual event was held at the Sno-Packers facility on Pearl Street Road in Oakfield.

More pictures after the jump:

From the county's perspective, the Sno-Packers have the A-OK to reinstall their bridge on Sour Springs Road, but the agreement to make it happen is far from a done deal.

The Town of Alabama atttorney is recommending to town board members that they not approve an agreement that passed the County Legislature 9-0 tonight.

According to Councilman Max Maerten, who attended the Legislature meeting, Alabama's attorney doesn't believe the agreement has language allowing the town to assign its duties to a third party. Maerten said he's voting for the agreement anyway.

"Our insurance company that's going to carry the policy for the town does not have an issue with it," Maerten said. "I'm not one to wear the liability of everything every day on his sleeve. If our insurance company is willing to back us and the snowmobile club insurance is going to back us, I would probably vote yes."

Kevin Fischer (pictured), president of the Genesee Sno-Packers said he's not concerned about the situation with the Alabama Town Board.

"I believe that they all know and understand what we're all about," Fisher said. "They know what our intentions have been all along. They were the people who who said a year ago the issue isn't with the Town of Alabama it's with the county. I believe we'll be able to work something out."

County officials say that although there's nothing explicitly allowing it, there is nothing in the agreement that prevents the Town of Alabama from reaching a separate agreement with the Sno-Packers.

At today's Ways and Means Committee meeting, Sno-Packers Snowmobile Club representative Kevin Fisher could only laugh.

"It's not easy, is it?" County Attorney John Rizzo said.

For Fisher and the other club members, getting their bridge restored on Sour Springs Road in Alabama has been a long process. There is always one more step.

Today's step was for the Ways and Means Committee to refer a resolution to the full County Legislature. It authorizes Chairwoman Mary Pat Hancock to sign an agreement with the Town of Alabama accepting indemnification from any liability for the bridge.

There's always a wrinkle, of course, and in this case, according to Legislator Ray Cianfrini, who represents Alabama, the town attorney wants the Sno-Packers to be a party to the agreement.

But both Cianfrini and Rizzo said from the county perspective, it's a two-party agreement and there's nothing preventing the Town of Alabama from signing an agreement with Sno-Packers.

"That's raising some controversy that we don't necessarily agree with," said Ray " ... We want to make sure that we fulfill our side of the agreement by referring it to the Legislature to approve for signature."

For Fisher, he would just like to get the bridge in as soon as possible and he was hoping to find some way to start installation even before all of the agreements are signed.

"Right now we have a break in the weather," Fisher said. "It would be much more pleasant to set that bridge back in place now when it's 40 degrees than two weeks from now when it's 20. That's our only thing. We understand if it can't be done, it can't be done."

A bridge at Sour Springs Road built by local snowmobilers and later removed by the county could be back in place within a month, County Manager Jay Gsell told WBTA.

The County and the Town of Alabama have reached an agreement to let the bridge be reinstalled and now Gsell said the insurance companies need to approve it.

"The engineer has already looked at the drawings and their sufficient as far as the structure and how they're going to reposition the bridge," Gsell said (mp3). "Winter started, what, Dec. 22? We've got a long season ahead of us. So my sense is that bridge will probably be in place by the end of January if not sooner."

Sno-packers club leaders have previous said putting the bridge back in place won't be difficult.

A handful of snowmobilers attended last night's Genesee County Legislature meeting, and though they were not allowed to speak, they did walk about with good news.

It may be possible for the Genesee County Sno-Packers to reinstall the bridge it installed on Sour Springs Road over Oak Orchard Creek.

The county highway department removed the bridge Oct. 22, with officials citing liability concerns since installation of the bridge was not authorized.

Two issues stand in the way of putting the bridge back in place: County liability and responsibility for maintenance. Both of those issue appear on the cusp of resolution.

"After some discussion I had tonight with the county attorney, it appears that the county attorney would be receptive to the town of Alabama giving a hold harmless and indemnification agreement to the county," said Legislator Ray Cianfrini. "I was told by Mr. Rizzo that he would be receptive to that, and that's a huge step forward."

Even though the Sour Springs Road runs through a national wildlife refuge, it is actually a Town of Alabama roadway.

County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens said he was confident an agreement could be reached with the Sno-Packers for maintenance of the bridge.

Kevin Fisher, speaking for the Sno-Packers after the meeting said the club would have no issue with taking care of the bride and would gladly reinstall it themselves.

“I’m sure the club will put it back in," Fischer said. "We did it once, I’m sure we can do it again.”

At which point another club member chimed in, "It's easier the second time."

"You got it," Fisher said.