City awards $5 million in project contracts

The Fairfield City Council accepted bids for two wastewater treatment plant projects and a street resurfacing project Tuesday evening.

Norris Asphalt submitted the sole bid for resurfacing East Fillmore Avenue from South Main Street to South Maple Street.

Norris Asphalt was awarded a $298,851.12 contract. The engineer?s estimate for the project was $311,974.

The total cost of the project increased roughly $30,000 since the city first applied for funding in early 2010. Because the Surface Transportation Program will only fund 80 percent of the original estimate, Fairfield must pick up the entire increase in cost.

Engineer Jerry Long of French-Reneker-Associates Inc. explained the Department of Transportation heightened the requirements and the additional expense is due to patching, new returns at Main Street and a 3-inch overlay in the gutters, where the project had been designed with a 2-inch overlay.

A $3.519 million contract for construction of a sludge storage tank was awarded to Grooms and Company Construction Inc. of Ottumwa. Of the four bids Fairfield received, Grooms and Company?s came in closest to the engineer?s $3.5 million estimate.

Engineer David Fredericks of French-Reneker-Associates explained the project includes installation of a 1.1 million gallon, glass-coated steel tank for the storage of excess sludge, as well as two buildings to house pumps and controls. The tank was designed with easy access for operators, who will haul away sludge in the fall, in mind, Fredericks said.

He expects work to begin in the next couple months, with completion by July 31, 2012.

City administrator Jeff Clawson said the storage tank is paid for with $1 million in existing city revenue and $500,000 in I-JOBS funding, with the rest covered by a low-interest State Revolving Fund loan.

Sludge is a byproduct of wastewater treatment typically used as fertilizer. Currently, Fairfield produces more sludge than can be used, and the excess is stored in two storm water overflow ponds at the wastewater treatment plant. Because the ponds are nearly full, there is little room for storm surges, which result in overflows into Crow Creek.

Three bids were submitted for installation of a Department of Natural Resources-mandated emergency power system at the wastewater treatment plant. WRH Inc. of Amana submitted the low bid of $1.215 million.

All three bids for the project did, however, come in under the engineer?s $1.7 million estimate.

In addition to the generators, Fredericks said the project includes a small expansion to the existing control building and wiring throughout the plant.

Councilman John Revolinski asked about whether the emergency power system could be used to enroll in Alliant Energy?s interruptible power program to save money on energy.

Fredericks said it would be unadvisable as much would have to be worked out with Alliant.