Contract awarded for Franklin utility work
A Leavittsburg company won the contract to replace the water and sanitary sewer lines on Franklin Street between Lincoln and South Broadway, submitting the lowest bid at $624,629.
The city Utilities Commission awarded the job to Woodford Excavating Thursday from among three other bids received, following the recommendation of the engineering firm, Alfred Benesch & Company of Salem, which is overseeing the project. The engineer’s estimate of probable cost was $614,629.
Bids had been opened Tuesday. Other bidders included: S.E.T. Inc. of Lowellville, $667,619; J.S. Bova Excavating of Struthers, $739,000; and Rudzik Excavating of Struthers, $758,849.
Utilities Superintendent Don Weingart said the city has never worked with Woodford, but the engineer got some very good references for the company. Commission member Tim Weingart said he had previously worked with Woodford on a project in another community and they did a good job.
Plans call for the project to get started soon. Once that project is complete, the city has plans to pave the stretch using $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds and capital improvement funds to cover the rest. The estimated cost of the project is $151,131.
In other business, engineer Jon Vollnogle of Howells & Baird of Salem told the commission he received an appraisal of $2,400 from a private appraiser for Ohio Edison easements needed for the Snyder Road sanitary sewer line project. He said he’ll be approaching Ohio Edison about the appraisal amount, noting the difference in price between what Ohio Edison was requesting and what the private appraiser came up with.
“That’s a lot more palatable than $130,000,” Commission Chair Bob Hodgson said.
Don Weingart reported that he talked to Vollnogle about changing the route slightly to avoid a small parcel they’ve been trying to negotiate an easement for, but haven’t been successful. It’s in limbo right now and Vollnogle said altering the route can be done to go around that parcel, but it will cost more by adding more pipe to the project. He suggested waiting a week to try to come to an agreement with the property owner.
Weingart reported that the groundbreaking for the Phase 2 wastewater treatment plant project is expected in a couple weeks, The pre-construction meeting is set for May 30 which will start the tolling of time for the 540-day project. Stanley Miller Construction Company of East Sparta was selected as the contractor after submitted the lower bid, which totaled $5,285,870.
Weingart also briefly discussed the Phase 3 wastewater treatment plant project, noting they are now in the 90-day window for determining the scope of construction with Burgess & Niple. He said this is a very important 90 days because decisions will have to be made for Phase 3 on what to do. Plant manager Jeff Zimmerman spoke to the commission about a process he plans to discuss with the engineers from B & N that’s a new technology but that’s been successful regarding the handling of the sludge.
In the area of water meters, the commission is considering a technology that will allow meters to be read at the office instead of having someone go out in a vehicle to collect the data electronically. The estimated cost from the Neptune Technology Group is $110,590 to cover the cost of the software and training required and for the equipment, which would include four gateway collectors set up on towers to collect the date which can be read at the office. The system would be similar to what the village of Leetonia has, but won’t require replacement of water meters. The new system could be a savings of time and mileage for an employee to drive through town for four days to collect the data each month.
The next commission meeting will be 4 p.m. June 20 in the second floor conference room at the utilities building.
mgreier@salemnews.net