Yough project behind schedule
VANDERBILT – The Yough Sanitary Authority’s $11.1 million sewer project is running behind schedule. Marie Hartman, Widmer Engineering Inc. project engineer, told authority board members Monday that 61 percent of the project time has expired and only 21.8 percent of the contract work has been completed on the Vanderbilt Borough, Dunbar Township and Franklin Township side of the project, while 15.8 of the work has been completed on the Dawson Borough and Lower Tyrone Township sanitary sewer system.
Hartman said Port Vue Plumbing, Inc., who is in charge of the general construction work on the wastewater treatment facility on River Road, the wastewater pumping station and Hollow Road wastewater pumping station, has completed 23.5 percent of their work.
Electrical contractor A-1 Electric Inc., has completed 23.4 percent of its work at the wastewater treatment facility and at the pumping stations.
Hartman said the contractors only had 365 days to fulfill the contract, under the notice to precede order issued on Sept. 11, 2006. That means that the contract is up on Sept. 11, 2007.
Hartman said Barbara J. McMillen, loan specialist for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS), sent letters to the contractors asking them to submit a new schedule showing how they will complete the work by the required Sept. 11 completion date.
Harman said Port Vue has completed work on the tank walls and construction of the control-building roof.
“They submitted a pay request for $147,012.50,” said Hartman, “however, RUS held $17,000 from the first two pay requests.”
Hartman said the $17,000 is equal to the liquidated damages for the 34 days beyond the completion date shown on Port Vue’s schedule. She additionally said that Port Vue isn’t happy that RUS withheld the money and claims that RUS is in violation of the contract.
Hartman said that when RUS asked for a breakdown of the expenses on the work performed, Port Vue submitted a new bill that was $6,000 higher than the original bill they submitted.
“This is not your problem,” Hartman told the board. “It is between RUS and the contractor.”
In other matters, authority treasurer L. Wayne Cable said that 45 people on the Dawson side of the project have not paid their tap-in fees. Cable said the 45 people owe the authority $57,543.75, while 80 Dunbar Township residents owe the authority $78,350.
Cable said 39 Vanderbilt Borough residents owe $45,825, Lower Tyrone Township residents owe $6,100 and one Franklin Township resident owes $900.
The board agreed to increase Cable’s hours from 12 to 30 per month because Cable has a lot more responsibility. They also agreed to form a real estate committee to look for office space for the authority.
Those appointed to the committee were Robert “Bob” Lind, who represents Vanderbilt Borough; Cable, who represents Dawson Borough residents on the board; and Ray Bryner, who represents Dunbar Township residents.
The committee will look at office space and report back to the authority at the next regular meeting on June 4.
Widmer field engineer Steve Eby said that he would make sure that the road is cleaned in Dawson for the Tri-Town Historical Society’s Homecoming Days the first weekend in June.
Ebe also said that he would address a road issue brought to his attention by Kathy Riggin on Fairview Avenue. Riggin, a Vanderbilt resident, said a sinkhole at the bottom of the road adjacent to Route 201 is causing problems for residents.