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Sewer repair's price provokes debate
By MICHAEL SANDLER, Times Staff Writer LARGO -- Sewer repairs are among the most complex and arcane of city topics and rarely garner detailed examination by elected official. But there is nothing routine about $5-million. So when city engineers came to the City Commission for approval to spend that much on a sewer rehabilitation project, commissioners responded with an atypical swirl of questions traditionally reserved for more easily grasped subjects. Mayor Bob Jackson applauded Commissioner Marty Shelby for asking the seminal question that sparked 35 minutes of dialogue. "(Normally), take a $5-million contract, we take five minutes on it," Jackson said. "We've said this over the years, we do a remodeling of a building (that costs) $2,500, and spend two hours discussing it." What grabbed their attention was not just that engineers wanted $5-million but that they needed it even after a contractor offered to do the job for less money: $4.278-million. The debate centered on the extra $722,000. Engineers said the money likely would be needed once the contractor began the job and realized the true extent of the damage. They reminded commissioners that the contract came in below budget and nearly $900,000 less than the next bidder. Jackson said awarding that much money on contingency made him uneasy. "We have contingencies, but we don't spend the contingencies up front," he said. Commissioner Pat Burke, pointing out that the commission had discussed change orders in the past, worried that they might be sending mixed signals to the staff. "I can remember sitting up here and people getting very excited about change orders with increasing amendments," Burke said. "Yeah, well, I get pretty excited over a blanket ... appropriation," Jackson replied. Ultimately, the commission approved the entire amount with a caveat: City staff would keep them up to date on all spending beyond the $4.278-million contract award. City engineers discovered the damage last year while cleaning and inspecting the system, which is more than 30 years old. Using a closed-circuit television camera, they saw the city's main interceptor line had leaks and deteriorated sections. That line collects sewage from locations throughout the city and delivers it to the city's reclamation facility near St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Choosing a method called inversion lining, they could repair the damage without drilling a single hole. Engineer Michael Staffopoulos said they would insert a fabric sock filled with liquid polymer into a manhole. Once inside, they pump steam into the sock to push the fabric the length of the pipes. The pressure keeps the fabric pressed to the lining, allowing them to fill the pipes with hot water. That cures the polymer into a hardened lining, adding a 1-inch layer to the inside of the sewer line. City Manager Steven Stanton said the project illuminated the city's need to rehabilitate a sewer system that has begun showing age. "If we can get another $800,000 worth of work on our system because this contractor gave us a good price, it's worth it." Stanton said. "Largo's collection system is of sufficient age where we should be doing some substantial rehabilitation." -- Michael Sandler can be reached at 445-4174 or sandler@sptimes.com.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks Editorial Letters |
