June 28, 2022 |
In Saratoga, the cost of the Main Street water line and road paving project through the center of town will exceed the original estimate by roughly three-quarters of a million dollars.
Councilman Jon Nelson updated the council last week following a workshop with the Joint Powers Water and Sewer Board. Nelson said costs have risen since the original estimate was made.
Pictured above: File photo of Downtown Saratoga. Photo by Bigfoot 99.
Nelson said how to forward and absorb the additional cost is the challenge for both the Joint Powers Board and the Town. Council funded the gap with an appropriation approved in the final reading of the FY 2022-23 budget.
JPB member Craig Kopasz, who attended the meeting asked where the money came from in the budget appropriation. Kopasz added that the final project cost could go even higher because of weather delays this fall.
Nelson agreed, and said an amendment was being developed to define the schedule and other project guidelines to avoid incurring additional costs.
Nelson said the project manager, T-O, has agreed to craft the amendment for the contractor, Lewis and Lewis, to sign. Under the amended contract, the work schedule starts July 18th with 90 days to substantial completion, which would be October 15, and 106 days to final completion, which is October 31.
Nelson added that Lewis and Lewis seemed willing to accept the risk and roll the dice on the weather.
Specific Purpose Tax Money will fund the Main Street Project. Because the actual costs might deplete the all of the money raised from the extra penny tax that voters approved, Nelson and Kopasz agreed that other grant sources should be pursued to cover any shortfalls and fund other projects.
In the meantime, town council approved the transfer of $1.3 million from specific purpose tax reserves that the Town has received already to fund the project.
Nelson made a motion to send Lewis and Lewis a letter of intent that the town intends to proceed with the Main Street Project at the new price of $2.165 million under the schedule that T-O will craft in an amendment. The motion passed unanimously. The JPB members present requested to see the letter before it was sent to Lewis and Lewis. Council agreed to the request.
