Tuesday was election night for the Price River Water Improvement District board. As residents voted at the PRWID offices to fill a position on the panel, the board members met in a long session that included addressing more than a dozen items.
The first matter discussed at the board meeting concerned the sewer line extension construction that has been going on all summer and into the fall.
“The contractor has now finished the Bawdenville section of the project and in the next week the system will be tested and flushed,” explained Phil Palmer, district manager. “We should be totally done with installation sometime next week in Carbonville. We are working on the last part of that line right now.”
The Carbonville project, located along Gardner Road, has been a thorn in the side of PRWID staff since the contractor moved to the site in early August. Mud, created by irrigation operations clogging the trenches, caused cave-ins and resulted in a costlier project than expected. The construction has also damaged the road in many places.
At the Nov. 4 public meeting, PRWID board member Keith Cox asked what the staff intended to do to repair the road, since the street will be torn up again for a new water line projected in the area in the next six months.
“On 1300 North, we are proposing that four inches of rotomill be put down with a tack coat until it needs to be dug up again for the other project,” explained Palmer.
The PRWID manager said the county agreed with the decision and digging on the road for the waterline would not begin until after March 1, 2004.
People are hooking onto the new extension in Spring Glen and near Mountain States Road, where the last of the black top was laid this week, indicated Palmer.
The PRWID manager also reported that the contractor has moved a work crew to one of the Wellington projects. The workers are trying to get the sections that affect roads completed before the weather changes so the surfaces can be re-oiled properly.
In a related action, the PRWID board approved a partial payment to Claw Construction, the contractor on the project, for $228,439.65 minus a five percent contingency fee.
However, the approval for partial payment did not pass without questions, particularly from board member Steve Rigby.
“I am concerned about the extra cost that the mud problem added to this project,” noted Rigby. “How are we situated for money as the rest of it goes along? Will we have enough to cover it?”
“It’s kind of scary, but if we have no more problems, it will all come in very close to budget,” stated Palmer.
The PRWID manager pointed out that the water improvement district had built in a $150,000 pad for such a contingency.
The board also approved a change order on the project, which concerned the mud situation for $45,963.75, mostly for truck rental time to haul away the muck and replace it with gravel.
Another change order for $14,000 was also approved for materials.
The board then reviewed an agreement that they have been working on with Richard Lee the developer of the Hill subdivision concerning a water pump station.
The agreement had been returned to Nick Sampinos, the water improvement district’s legal counsel, and some changes had been made.
The PRWID board members made the decisions on the changes and the agreement will now sent back to Lee for evaluation.
The board approved a payment of $129,000 be paid to the contractor who worked on the utility relocation this summer between Price and Wellington. The project was completed under the umbrella of the Utah Department of Transportation. UDOT intends to widen U.S. Highway 6 between the two towns next year.
“We owe the contractor and UDOT owes us,” explained Palmer. “But we are in default with the contractor by waiting for this money to come from the state. So I suggest we take the money from a budgeted amount we have for water tank restoration on Four Mile Hill to pay it then put the money back in that account when the payment comes from the state.”
The board approved the payment and the transfer of the funds.
Acting on a related agenda item, the PRWID board approved $7,595 for design work and the bidding of work for the Four Mile and Kenilworth water storage tanks so the facilities can be completed by next spring.
In addition, the board approved expenditures for several items included in the agency’s 2003 budget, but not yet purchased.
First the members approved $7,500 to change out the key operated controls on water haul stations.
Many of the controls are worn out and need replacement. Rigby suggested the staff look into card control systems rather than key systems for the future.
Next, they approved a new belt for a machine at the water plant that moves solids taken from settling ponds. That expenditure was for $5,630.
Third, they approved the purchase of a truck on state contract from Butterfield Ford for $24,475.
They also approved the expenditure of a dual sulphur dioxide scale for the waste water plant for $6,150.
Finally, the board members approved a cover to be built over the pretreatment basin at the waste water plant for $6,500.
According to water improvement district staff, the cover is needed to protect the area during the winter because the area ices up and it creates problems with that part of the treatment process.
The cover will be built by the treatment plants crew themselves, so all the money will go for materials.
At the last meeting of the board it was brought to their attention that workers compensation had refunded the district $1,183.20 for excellence in safety. The board decided to allow the employees to determine what should be done with the money.
“After talking with them, it appears they want a nice Christmas party,” pointed out Jeff Richens, assistant water district director.
The board approved allowing the employees to use the money.
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