Price council members accept bid on city’s waterline project

By Sun Advocate

On March 27, the Price Council accepted the bid on the city’s water pipeline project submitted by Condie Construction of Springville.
Spearheaded by public works director and city engineer Gary Sonntag, the final design and alignment of the bid documents was prepared by Hansen, Allen and Luce Engineering.
Although the project was projected to cost more than $7.5 million, several bids came in in the mid $5 million range and the successful bid was $5.5 million.
There were three bids submitted in the $5 million range, while the city received proposals from another dozen contractors exceeding $6 million.
A committee of city officials met prior to last week’s final awarding announcement and reviewed the bid award, identified discrepancies in the cost breakdown and evaluated the contractors work history.
It is estimated that it will take four to six weeks before initial construction begins.
Acting on unrelated city business agenda items at last Wednesday’s meeting, the council approved a request to contribute funding to the Helper Arts Festival. The event is scheduled for mid-August.
Kathy Hanna-Smith appeared before the council and summarized the benefits provided by the 2001 Helper Arts Festival.
Last year, Price city contributed $2000 toward funding the project. Although the request was approved, the donation will be contingent on the availability of funds from the refund of the Olympic banners.
There is a chance the funds cannot be released until after July 1, which will then be in next year’s budget.
With the Olympics and the Paralympics concluded, the banners , signs anddecorations that hung throughout the city will be taken down and offered at silent auction, according to a plan outlined by Price officials.
Some of the banners have been committed to various people and agencies, but the remainder of items were declared surplus and be distributed as special donations in a silent auction.
The auction will be advertised through April 16. The silent auction event will take place at the city hall from April 17 until noon on May 1.
Dennis Geary, facilities manager at the College of East ern Utah, made a presentation explaining how the new main building would change the look of the Price campus.
The building will be a two-story, L shaped structure.
The college’s new main building will be constructed facing west in what is currently the parking lot for the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center and the existing structure presently housing the CEU administration offices.
Geary explained that the new main building will become the focal point of the price campus.
Once the construction project is completed and all of the departments as well as the classrooms have been shuffled, the current building will be torn down. The new plan also possibly includes a drive in circle to replace the present building site.
Removing the older structure will create a more attractive and functional central campus in north east Price, pointed out the college’s facilities manager.
The new main building has been approved and is expected to be completed by 2003. Geary told the Price mayor and city council members that officials expect the construction project to start in mid-April.