SALEM – The utilities commission has denied an extension request for the ongoing upgrades at the water treatment plant.

Project Engineer Drew Paul said that project contractor A. P. Ohoro had not been on site for work at the plant for two weeks but had provided updated delivery dates for pending equipment installations including the mixing station, trench drain and canopy for the pump station. He also said that he met with A.P. Ohoro last month and notified them that they had missed the substantial completion date, and that A.P. Ohoro had proposed an extension to July 27, with the final piece of equipment to be installed May 11.

Commission Chairman Bob Hodgson said that while the main switch gear was still on back order, which was outside of the contractor’s control, that “there was still a number of things that they did not get done that had nothing to do with a late delivery.” He said that he felt the department should maintain the initial date with the exception of the gear.

Utilities Superintendent Butch Donnalley agreed and said that Benesch had been “very straightforward and very clear” at the last construction meeting that all of the buildings at the plant should be sealed before the winter and that the interior work and mixing pumps should still be completed while waiting for the gear.

“Speaking for myself, I am not inclined to grant an extension to anything other than that switch gear, and even that is qualified with ‘I’d like to know when they ordered it.’ When they’re sending one person out for the day to do, basically, piddly work to show somebody was there, I’m not inclined to grant anything,” said Hodgson. “I think the message carry back to [A. P. Ohoro] is ‘you signed an agreement with a date in it, you failed to send people out to work when you had the ability, you did shoddy work until we got on you to correct it.’ I’m not inclined to grant any kind of extension.”

The commissioners also discussed their dissatisfaction with repeatedly missed completion dates for work at the wastewater treatment plant. Hodgson said that the project was supposed to be entirely complete except for the backordered switch gear by the end of May, and that there was still five pages of punch list items to be resolved “in the latter half of November.”

“We did meet with the engineer and the contractor regarding the wastewater plant, and one of the things I told them is that if there’s pain as far as civil penalties, they’re going to share in it since the delay is not ours,” said Hodgson.

Hodgson said that he feels the department should make no further payments until Project Contractor Stanley Miller Construction completely finished work at the site.

“Until it’s completed to our satisfaction, and it meets the final date, checks are off the table,” said Hodgson.

The meeting concluded with an executive discussion for the discussion of contractual matters and personnel issues with no action to follow.

The utilities commission will meet next at 3 p.m. Dec. 18.