WEIGH SCALES - A request by a contractor to delay the start of sewer system repairs in the Shamokin Creek channel shouldn't be obliged, the Shamokin-Coal Township Joint Sewer Authority engineer said Wednesday.
Scott Keefer, of Great Valley Consultants, said the July 31 deadline had been clear during the bidding process and a pre-construction meeting.
"We're under the gun here and none of this was hidden in project documents," Keefer said during Wednesday's meeting authority meeting.
However, a March 10 letter to Great Valley from Doli Construction says "attempting to complete the work during the upcoming spring season was never in our plan." It expressed concerns about the flow of Shamokin Creek as reasoning for a proposed delay.
Keefer said the creek's level fluctuates throughout the year for a variety of reasons. "The creek can rise at any time whether it's summer or winter," he said.
A notice to proceed was received Feb. 18 by Doli Construction, Chalfont, and physical work was to begin within 10 days. That didn't happen, Keefer said. He recommended that the board not modify its July 31 deadline.
That deadline falls between dates agreed to in the notice to proceed: substantial completion July 15 and final completion Aug. 16. Doli had proposed delaying those completion dates to Aug. 31 and Sept. 30, respectively.
Doli won an authority contract totaling $1,239,063 to replace portions of the main sewer interceptor line and either repair or replace 10 manholes damaged during heavy flooding in September 2011.
Project funds are being reimbursed by Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had already granted one deadline extension. The new deadline must be met to avoid complicating reimbursement with FEMA.
The firm says it understands the project's urgency and obstacles "that were overcome" to get it moving forward and to get it funded. It will "make every attempt" to complete the project by July 31, according to Doli's letter.
According to Doli's letter, it says it's in compliance with the notice to proceed since as it has been visiting the site with a subcontractor and also developing a construction schedule.
On Feb. 19, Doli wrote Great Valley regarding potential changes to bypass pumping of Shamokin Creek. The authority engineer held firm that those methods must be used as changes would require state and federal approval. Given the looming deadline, the authority doesn't want to pursue such changes.
Doli was the general contractor on the sewer separation project completed in the Springfield section of Coal Township.
Authority board members said a contractor building the new sewer plant will not be paid for the storage of materials as it was not in the original contract. Payments will be made as work is completed.
Work on the project had slowed, Keefer said, but had recently picked up. Substantial completion on that project must be met by June 11, 2014.
Three project change orders totaling $38,357.95 were approved by the board. That raises the total approved change orders to more than $568,000.
Total project costs, including construction, contingencies, administration and engineering, total $40.25 million.
The change orders weren't rubber-stamped as authority member Mike Carpenter questioned Keefer about the legitimacy of the costs, who said they were necessary.
Construction of a new garage that had been deleted from the project last month was added back to project plans on Wednesday.
Board members were provided a working budget for fiscal year 2013-14.
Ed Christiano, board member, asked that a authority consultant prepare three-year budget projections to show what authority finances would look like without a rate increase.
Carpenter said loan payments currently being made are for interest only. The principals will "kick in" soon, he said, and authority members needs to learn if they have the revenue necessary to continue payments.
Paul Petrovich, authority general manager, said Great Valley and the authority will begin to pursue new avenues for grant funding through U.S. Department of Agriculture, PennVEST and SEDA-COG.