Delay in new Marion water treatment plant project

Delay in new Marion water treatment plant project

City needs time to lay pipe ahead of concrete work

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion is asking a contractor to hold off a few weeks on doing the concrete work at the city’s new chemical treatment building at Brunetti Park until the rough plumbing pipe material arrives so the city can do its part of the job.

The new building is being built to cover Well No. 2 but the city decided to change the plans to include relocating the water meter.

The water and sewer committee recommended the city spend $5,000 for a new water meter and the equipment which controls the pump, but will have city workers lay the new pipe and do the rough end plumbing in order to save money.

The city will need to lay about 60 to 70 feet of new pipe to tie the meter to the new building which is estimated will cost about $10,000.

“The consensus on the committee was that we could install it ourselves and save several thousand dollars as opposed to having the contractor do the work,” Mayor Frank Fogleman said. “I learned that the contractor wants to start pouring concrete and it is going to take a few weeks to get the material ordered.”

Fogleman said the city asked the contractor to sim- ply block an 18-inch area off and leave it for the city to install the plumbing later, but was told the contractor won’t warranty the work if they do it that way.

“It’s about $5,000 to rough end this if we get them to hold up doing the concrete work,” Fogleman said.

Water Department manager Jim Shempert said while he hates to see the work stopped, he is okay with blocking the space off and doing the work later when the material arrives.

“I don’t see that being a problem,” Shempert said.

Fogleman said there would not be a penalty to either party to ask the contractor to hold off.

“We’re not going to penalize either the contractor or subcontractor financially by waiting,” Fogleman said. “It’s not a well you depend on heavily, so it’s not like you are in a tight spot to get this done other than it needs to get done.”

It was the consensus of the city council to ask the contractor to stand down.

“If it’s not a pressing issue, tell them to wait,” said Councilman Cliff Wood.

“They do this all the time with slabs,” Councilman Don Hanks added.

Councilman Kelly O’Neal pointed out that B& B Utility Contractors should be willing to wait because they still haven’t finished a prior sewer job for the city.

“They’re six months behind on the project,” O’Neal said. “They have a pile north of Farm Bureau by the Interstate that they haven’t cleaned up. Depending on how you look at it, they’re not taking care of business. They can wait.”

Fogleman said he would ask Bond Engineering to ask the subcontractor to get the floor ready to pour and come back at a later date when the materials come in.

“If waiting four weeks is a better option than a block out, just have them stand down,” Fogleman said.

By Mark Randall