January 25, 2022 |
The Saratoga Town Council wants to replace the water line under Main Street through the downtown area this year rather than put it off any longer. Specific purpose tax money will pay for the project, which will cost about $1.6 million. At council meetings in December and January, Mayor Creed James said the project should be done this year if possible.
File photo of Downtown Saratoga. Photo by Bigfoot 99.
To complete the project this year, the town would need to use a non-traditional bid process. Town Council knows the water line is a problem. A council meeting was interrupted a few months ago when the aging water line broke, flooding Spring Street outside Town Hall. Not replacing the line this year could result in more breaks and additional costs to the town.
The traditional way of bidding out projects, known as design-bid-build, involves several time-consuming steps, making it hard to complete the project this year. “Design-bid-build” involves requesting proposals from engineers for a design. An engineer is hired to administer the project. This includes designing, permitting and putting out a second bid for a construction company. The second bid requires a separate contract between the town and the construction company to do the actual work.
In this traditional scheme, the engineer and contractor are sometimes pitted against each other. An alternative method is known as “design-build.” This process is streamlined. It involves a single contract with one company. An engineering and construction team works in unison under a single contract to design, build and deliver the project to the owner.
Confused? Some town officials were. The discussion at the January 4th council meeting and the motion that passed was misinterpreted. The confusion led to a clarification last week. Councilman Ron Hutchins said the motion he made, which passed unanimously, was misinterpreted.
This is exactly what some on the Joint Powers Board heard. At its January 12th meeting, board members grilled council man Jon Nelson about the intent of the motion. After several questions about the town’s ability to handle an RFP for a design-build, Board Chair Richard Raymer expressed the board’s real concern.
Councilman Nelson told the board he was surprised at the motion but saw no reason to vote no. He assured the board that town council would work in partnership with the JPB in reviewing the proposals for a design-build. JPB’s concerns caused Nelson and Hutchins to review the tape of the January 4th council meeting. Clarifications came last week, first with Nelson saying he misunderstood the motion that passed.
Hutchins acknowledged that his motion could have been made more clearly. He also said the town would work in a partnership with the JPB no matter which path the town takes in pursuing the project.
During this month’s JPB meeting, no objections were made about using the non-traditional design-build process of hiring a team to complete the project. Board Member Russ Waldner said he understood the town’s urgency in completing the project sooner rather than later.
Late last year, the Joint Powers Board made replacing the water main a top priority. The project calls for using specific purpose tax money to install a new water main along Spring Street from the water treatment plant to the elementary school. New pavement would be installed as part of a street rebuild associated with the project.
Public Works Director Jon Winter said the estimated scope of the work is 1,700 feet.
The project, which voters approved for specific purpose tax funding, will cost around $1.6 million. This includes about $734,000 for water line replacement, and about $930,000 for the restoration and repaving of Spring Street. Engineering, design, geotech and other construction costs are included.
Mayor Creed James said again last week that the consensus of Town Council is to complete the project this year. The mayor requested that the JPB be involved in making that happen.
Related: Service restored to most of Saratoga after water main break
