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Council moves forward on phase two of Nobleton sewers

March 4, 2015   ·   0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
Despite concerns about costs and time schedules, King councillors okayed preliminary design work on the second phase of sewers in Nobleton.
After reviewing a report from staff, council okayed giving the Ainley Group the contract for the design and adminstration of phase two.
While the matter seemed straightforward, councillors were concerned about the underestimated project costs, and the accelerated time schedule included in the contract.
When the Township sent out the RFPs, nine bids were reviewed, with Ainley Group coming out on top. They weren’t the lowest bidders, coming in at $498,850, but they scored highest on technical merits.
Out of this amount, $413,735 is for detailed design, tender documents and approvals for phase two, while $79,115 is for full-time contract administration and inspection for the installation of the sewers, replacement of watermain and road reconstruction on Nobleview Drive.
The staff report noted the design work is necessary, regardless of the timing for construction.
The concern was that only $226,667 was estimated for the work in the recently passed 2015 budget and the approved amount is roughly twice that.
Manager of Engineering Mike said the budget estimates were based on older amounts. He did say the current bids are in keeping with recent work done in Nobleton.
The schedule was accelerated in the RFP and this, too, caused some concerns.
Some councillors wondered about the quality of the work, given that the project, which typically takes a year to complete, is being done in roughly six months. Some wanted to know whether the extra manpower used to complete the task ballooned the costs.
The admittedly frugal Councillor Bill Cober said time is money. One of the reasons councillors asked that this project be done quickly is to be in line for federal grants, should they arise. Grants are given if infrastructure projects are under way.
Mayor Steve Pellegrini pointed out staff did exactly what council asked for and they should move ahead.
Councillor Debbie Schaefer was concerned about the quality of work in the accelerated schedule, noting the Township doesn’t have the best track record of sewer work in Nobleton.
The mayor noted several very qualified companies submitted bids within these confines, all indicating they can do it.
Cole added quality control and monitoring are built into the process.

         

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