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Quarter-million-dollar sewer bill
dumped on city
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[AUG. 13, 2003]
Not much was said by council
members as City Attorney Bill Bates and the wastewater treatment
manager from EMC, Grant Eaton, unfolded an unpleasant reality that
the city faces. They explained a situation that has developed with
the new construction at the sewer plant.
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Bates received a request for additional
compensation from the company that is performing the new
construction. Femley-Dickerson has submitted an itemized bill of
$224,387 in additional costs that they have paid out.
Early in the construction process
"structure 45" ran into complications. The 25- to 30-foot excavation
had groundwater seepage. Femley had to take several measures, which
included digging a well to relieve water pressure, pumps to remove
water, sediment removal, additional bond liability and so on, to
deal with the problem.
Eaton confirms that the company has had
additional costs to deal with unexpected complications. He and
Perric, the construction company that is on-site, are reviewing the
claim thoroughly.
Bates said he will need their help and
the input of the aldermen in preparing the city's response to the
claim, which is due by Aug. 29.
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this article]
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There is some question over the soil
percolation tests done for the pre-construction assessment. Experts
from the pretesting and experts consulted by Femley disagree about
the conditions of the site. Bates is recommending that the city go
back to the company that took the first soil-boring tests for
further consultation. It will probably cost about $3,000 to have MES
act as consultants in the matter.
"Nobody is going to question the fact
that structure 45 was a difficult site," Bates said. "The question
is, who is going to pay?"
"I can tell you right now that I won't
be recommending that we pay the dollar amount in the claim," he
said.
"This is an
ongoing matter that isn't going to go away," Bates concluded.
[Jan
Youngquist] |
