Oct 25, 2002 By Jackie Beranek 3 min read

DUNBAR TWP. – The $8.7 million Dunbar Township Municipal Authority sewerage project is 83 percent completed and the Rural Utilities Service has agreed to allow Widmer Engineering to use $421,650 in leftover funds to extend the project for 15 customers. Richard Widmer, vice president of Widmer Engineering Inc., said Frick Lane, Deerfield Road (Hidden Acres), Hickory Lane and Bell Drive were part of the Act 537 plan area identified with RUS and were included in the environmental review process for this project.

“Very competitive project bidding resulted in some project funds being available to expand the on-going sewer project to provide public sewage service to other area homes that were not included in the original project scope,” said Widmer.

The proposed expansion areas are listed with their approximate lengths and estimated potential costs:

– Frick Lane, 2,570 feet, at a cost of $115,650.

– Deerfield Road, 3,000 feet, at a cost of $135,000.

– Hickory Lane, 1,700 feet, at a cost of $76,500.

– Bell Drive, 2,100 feet, at a cost of $94,500.

Widmer told the DTMA board, “At this time of our project, we feel comfortable that these funds will not be needed for the on-going project and would be available for the project expansion.”

He additionally said that the authority does not intend to go over its original project funding level.

“Since these proposed areas of expansion will not be started until after the existing project is completed, or at least near completion, the authority can control the actual amount of additional sewerline to be installed to insure that original project funding is not exceeded,” said Widmer.

Widmer said the authority does not want to have a gap of time between finishing the project and starting the expansion areas.

The board agreed to amend the engineering contract with RUS approval so that the design phase could begin.

Widmer said if there were not enough funds available through RUS for the entire project the Hickory Lane portion of the project would be left out of the extended project.

In other related matters, engineer Don Reho reported that the time expired on the project is 71 percent.

He also said that Contract One, Leisenring/Rogerstown is 82 percent completed, while Contracts Two and Three, Trotter and Adelaide/Crossland, are 99 percent completed.

Contract Four, the general contract for the sewage treatment plant, is 96 percent completed and Contract Five, the electrical work at the sewage plant, is 72 percent completed when you add in stored materials.

The board tabled a measure to hire a sewerage plant operator. Reho said he received a proposal from H&H of Carmichaels to provide an operator and assistant operator at a cost of $21,600 a year.

Reho said the Dunbar Borough/Township Sanitary Authority uses the company and is very happy with their work.

“They offer 24-hour emergency on call service,” said Reho.

“They come to the plant every other day, and if the operator is sick or on vacation, they have a backup assistant plant operator to fill in for the guy.

“They are certified and as far as I can see they are doing an excellent job at the borough/township plant.”

Reho said although the authority doesn’t have to make the decision on an operator for a couple of months he wants them to think about who they will employ to day the job.

Widmer suggested that the authority seek additional proposals to make sure they get the best deal.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

The date was changed because of the Thanksgiving holiday.