Engineers Meet with Residents on Water/Sewer Project

IRONWOOD, MI - Friday, January 30, 2009 - Mr. Jeff Sjoquist, P.E., Senior Project Manager and representative for Coleman Engineering addressed a gathering of about twenty area residents with an update of the Jessieville Water and Sewer Utility Project. Before he made his address, Coleman Engineering personnel handed a very thorough outline to each of the audience members and to the media. The outline below does a good job explaining the status of the project. According to the outline:

Project Overview: The Jessieville/Norrie Area Utility Project is the first phase of a multi-phase program. The program was initiated in response to a draft consent order from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The goal of the project is to replace aging sewer and water lines in the Jessieville/Norrie areas. The project scope was established in Preliminary Engineering Reports from 2006. Project funding will be from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. In addition to utility improvements, the project will refinance $349,000 in existing Sewer bonds and $615,000 in existing water bonds.

Project Budget: There will be separate bonds for water and sewer. As such, separate budgets have been established for both water and sewer items. Project budgets are as follows:

BUDGET ITEM	SEWER	WATER
Construction	$1,397,500	$997,000
Legal, Administration, & Engineering	$222,500	$162,000
Contingency	$140,000	$100,000
Bond Refinance	$349,000	$615,000
BUDGET TOTALS	$2,109,000	$1,874,000

Tentative Project Schedule: This tentative schedule is subject to change based on several regulatory and funding agency issues including review times.

PROJECT PHASE	PROJECTED TIME
Design Plans to Permit Agencies and Rural Development	Early February 2009
Right-of-Way Map to Rural Development	February 2009
Advertise for Bids	March 1, 2009
Receive Bids	March 31, 2009
Loan Closing	May 29, 2009
Start Construction	June 1, 2009
End Construction	November 14, 2009

Notes:

Rural Development will not authorize advertising for bids until Design Plans are approved and Right-of-Way map is approved. It was pointed out that the Right-of-Way map that Rural Development requires is to encompass the entire City of Ironwood, not just the areas affected by the project.
Project scope may be adjusted after bids have been received. Depending on economic conditions, bids may be higher than the allotted budget. If bids are higher than the budget, certain segments may be eliminated from the project scope after bids.
Interest Rate will be the lower of the rates in effect at the time of loan obligation (4.5%) or loan closing. Currently, the rate for January 1 to March 31, 2009 is 3.125%. This may change for a May 29, 2009 loan closing.
Rural Development funding is aimed at utilities. Incidental paving will be eligible for funding, but sidewalks/curb will not be included unless directly affected by utility work.

To view a map showing what streets are involved in the first phase of the project [CLICK HERE].

Before Sjoquist opened the meeting up to questions and answers from the general public, he cited a number of answers to questions he anticipated would be asked:

In what order will the streets be constructed? This issue will be decided by the contractor that is awarded the bid. Sjoquist said it is best to allow contractors to do projects in the manner they feel will bring the best results. He said that Coleman Engineering will be there to advise, but they do not tell the contractors how to do their jobs. Sjoquist told the audience that another meeting will be held after a contractor is selected, and the people in the area can get a better idea of the order then.

Will there be access to your property? Yes. According to Sjoquist, the specifications for the contractor provide that "at least temporary access" is available to homeowners at all times. He pointed out that it is a construction job and that there will be inconveniences, however. Overnight ingress and early morning egress will be guaranteed. Under special circumstances, if a person is disabled or elderly, information will be provided that inspector contact will be available to handle special needs.

Will water service be interrupted? Existing service lines will remain connected until the brand new lines are fully ready to be charged. Naturally, things happen, but water interruption should be kept to a minimum. Waste lines will be diverted at times as lines are repaired, replaced or installed. Bypass pumps will divert the waste during those circumstances. The likelihood of a sewer interruption is less than the chance of a sewer interruption, according to Sjoquist.

Will provisions be made to allow the passage of emergency vehicles through the construction site, if needed? Contract documents will require the contractor to allow emergency vehicles access at all times. If a complete block-off of a road is required, a 24-hour notice must be given to the affected residents.

Will there be any work hour restrictions? Typically, hours of construction are allowed from 7:00 AM through and 8:00 PM. Work on Sundays and holidays will not be allowed without special permission from the City. Should a situation arise where longer than normal hours or work on holidays or Sundays is required, an appeal can be made by the contractor to City. Scott Erickson verified Sjoquist's comments on time restrictions, however, he said there may be times when later than normal hours are required due to unforeseen consequences.

Will there be any kind of dust control requirement during the project? According to Sjoquist the contractor will be required to wet down the roads in the summer to minimize road dust.

Will there be extensive pavement restoration, and will there be replacements of the curbs and sidewalks? This program will provide for a large amount of pavement replacement, but they seldom allow for repairs or replacement of curbs and sidewalks. If, for some reason, sidewalks or curb-work need to be torn up, they will be replaced, however.

Why were people video taping my neighborhood? This has become a common practice in construction. Having a video tape of the project before, during and after construction can be a valuable thing for all parties concerned. If, let's say, a contractor destroys a tree in a man's yard. The video tape evidence would help in case of a court case.

Will there be blasting in the area? Possibly. If, however, blasting is required, a licensed, bonded, and experienced blaster will be hired. Special precautions will be taken whenever blasting is occurring.

Sjoquist told the audience that there will be bi-weekly meetings with the contractor, once one is chosen, to address residents' concerns. He then opened the meeting up to audience questions. Here are the questions that were asked and a brief overview of the answers given:

Will there be any construction that involves only half of a street (as in only one lane)? Currently, just about every road is scheduled to be completely repaved. If, for some reason, an entire street cannot be completed (possibly a funding issue), pavement will be on both lanes of the completed streets. Sjoquist explained that he has done projects where only one lane is repaved. He said he hates them -- the residents hate them. He explained that the old pavement left on the remaining lane is usually so damaged during construction that the finished project is far from being desirable. He reminded the audience, however, that the project the City is undertaking is to repair water and waste lines -- not streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

Will there be an opportunity for the homeowners to gather together and have additional work done (at the homeowners' expense) that isn't part of the program? Most contractors are willing to pave driveways, add sidewalks, curbs, gutters, etc. at a reduced cost since they are already there. If neighbors are willing to spend the money, there is a strong possibility that the contractors will work with the homeowners.

Will corrections be made to the existing streets, let's say if there is a drainage problem, will their be changes to elevations, etc.? Generally speaking, although this is not a road project, standard practice is to correct mistakes of the past, whenever possible. Often minor changes can create major improvements to a situation.

Will there be an on-site inspector from Coleman Engineering working on the project? Yes, there will be.

Going along with the City's hydrant replacement program, will hydrants in the area be replaced? Yes. Hydrants are eligible for the grant. Details are still being worked out regarding hydrants.

Are there provisions for cost overruns as a result of excessive rock in the area? The bidding will be by cubic yard with assumptions of trench widths being only so far. Coleman Engineering has done a number of soil borings -- estimates are estimates -- but a contingency factor will probably be added to the contract. Garth Stengard explained that rock estimates are perhaps the hardest estimates to make. He explained that rock is all over the entire area and that borings can only give a person so much information. One would have to do millions of borings in order to get a real idea of what is below the surface.

Should blasting need to be done, will there be any protection for the homeowners for possible damages? Blasting contractors are required to have special blasting insurance which covers damages to any surrounding properties. There will be special monitoring of blast sites to determine the overall impact of blasts in the area. More than likely the blasting contractor will do foundation inspections and video taping of their own to insure the safety of the neighboring homes and to protect themselves as well. Vibration monitoring equipment will be used to determine what impact the blasts have on the surrounding earth.

With there be incentives or penalties for the contractor to meet deadlines? Rural Development sets these rules, but large projects are generally due to be completed by November 14th. There are liquidated damages charged should the project run seriously over deadline.

Will there be provisions for bad weather? Contracts will be required to document delays due to weather conditions. Coleman Engineering insists that regular reports be made to prevent using the weather as an excuse for not completing the job on time. Change orders will be required within a couple weeks of adverse weather condition delays.

Will water and waste lines be replaced with the same size lines or larger ones? Hydraulic analysis has been completed on the existing lines and generally water mains will increase in size. Much depends on what the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has to say as well. The current sewer lines seem to be of adequate size, however. It was pointed out that many of the existing sewer lines currently leak. That means that ground water enters the lines and overtaxes them. Part of the plan is to completely seal the existing waste lines to prevent ground water from entering the system.

Is there money budgeted for I/I (infiltration and inflow) removal? Sjoquist said he wasn't a big fan of I/I studies and he didn't believe there would be a significant I/I problem in the construction area.

Will the sewer lines be slip-lined or will they be replaced? The engineers believed they took the "worst area first" so the first phase of sewer lines will be replaced. Other lines in other phases of the project may be slip-lined, however. Comments were made that many of the existing sewers are in very bad shape. "It's surprising some of them flow at all!"

Is there any areas where there will be major re-profiling? No, it's not in the budget.

Will anything happen with home laterals (residential water supply lines)? The City's policy states that the homeowners are responsible for their own home laterals. Funding may be available to help fund tying into the new lines.

When they back-fill the lines will the fill settle at a different rate than surrounding areas causing dipping in the streets? Specs call for uniform materials to be used and density tests taken to determine if the road needs to be compacted. If trenches need to be dug, then attempts will be made to match the native material whenever possible, to prevent excessive or different settling.

Can the second layer of pavement be laid down after one complete freeze-thaw cycle or does it all have to be completed immediately? Rural Development may allow the second layer to be placed following a winter cycle. There are problems with doing that, however, involving payments and contractors.

"There will be pain and suffering for a few months, but in the end it will be a good deal," Sjoquist said, "It's needed!"

Coleman representatives at last night's meeting were: Jeff Sjoquist, P.E., Senior Project Manager; Garth C. Stengard, P.E., Civil Engineering Manager; Scott McNelis, Project Manager; and Mark O. Suprenant, CADD Operator/Engineering Technician.