February 7, 2022 |
The Saratoga Town Council will hold a workshop this afternoon with the Joint Powers Water and Sewer Board to discuss presentations heard at last week’s council meeting regarding a pending water project on Spring Avenue.
Representatives from two Cheyenne-based engineering firms, HDR and T-O, discussed whether the town can replace 1,700 feet of water line from the old treatment plant to the elementary school, as well as repave the street, starting now with no designs in place. Mayor Creed James teed up the presentations.
Pictured above: Crews respond to a water main break on Spring Street in front of Saratoga Town Hall last fall. Photo by Jim O’Reilly/Bigfoot 99.
The JPB finally chose the Spring Avenue work as its top 6th Penny Tax project in December. Town council wants the work done this year. So the primary question for the presentations was whether any time can be trimmed by using a “design-build” administrative process, which involves a single contract with one company versus the traditional “design-bid-build,” which involves separate and sequential contracting with an engineer first and then a construction company. The answer town was “not really.”
Marcus Krall with HDR said both ways of administering the project will reach the finish line about the same time. The good news, Krall said, is the project is doable this year no matter which route the town uses. Krall said the real choke points in a project like replacing a water main are not the delivery system, but acquiring DEQ permitting and procuring the materials necessary for the job. Those risks could produce delays and increase the cost of what is estimated as a $1.7 million project. Krall said the town has good financial reasons for moving forward this year. Prices are not getting cheaper given inflationary trends in the market.
The presenters from T-O engineers told a similar story. Ryan Taylor manages projects around the western U.S. for the company. Taylor said he called suppliers prior to Tuesday’s meeting, and said finding and procuring materials now will be the biggest challenge the town faces.
Josh Morris with T-O went described the advantages and disadvantages of the design-build versus design-bid-build. Morris also discussed a third method, construction manager at risk, which he said is a hybrid.
Morris said because the contractor comes in near the beginning of the process in the construction manager at risk option, material costs are more predictable. Problems can be identified and solved sooner, as well, resulting in the fastest delivery time. The disadvantage is that pricing can be less transparent.
The engineers from T-O agreed no matter which delivery method the town chooses, the project can be completed this year barring any permitting or procurement delays. Making decisions quickly now will help.
The presentations gave town council and the members of the joint powers board plenty to consider. They’ll get together and discuss the options at the workshop, scheduled for this afternoon at the Saratoga Town Hall Chambers beginning at 4 p.m.
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