Water project enters 2nd phase
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RONAN – Things are moving along quite nicely for the Ronan Well and Water System Improvements Project, as the plan recently went up for its second-phase bid. The bid is primarily for the water treatment plant on the western edge of town.
The project includes purchase of materials, installation and construction for an ultraviolet treatment plant upgrade, and a 20-user booster station. Once the booster station, tank installation, booster station electrical work and pump installation are complete, any remaining funds will be used to replace up to 10,000 lineal feet of water main lines.
“They’re small projects, so if there’s money left over, we will hit them step by step,” Lake County Community Development project manager Roland Godan said. “Generally speaking, we don’t have money left over for everything, but we’re ready to go if funds are there. We lose the funding if we don’t (use it).”
Recently, the main generators were fired up and tested, and the project will be coming out of winter shutdown in a couple of weeks, Godan said.
“The project is allotted ‘x’ amount of days, so if there is a delay with materials or permits, it’s not cost-effective (to work), because we would burn up our allotted days,” Godan added. “The prime contractor makes these calls.”
Godan says that's why people may not be working on site during rare occurrences of beautiful weather.
“Every contract is different, (and) specifies appropriate shutdowns," he said.
In order to bid on Phase Two of the project, contractors must post a 10-percent bond, which most small contractors can’t afford. Godan says the lowest bids are evaluated to ensure the contractor is fully capable of handling the job in terms of experience and machinery.
“The low bid is not the only determining element,” he said.
Once the prime contractor is chosen for the job, the contractor has the authority to employ sub-hires to help with the job. During Phase One, Intermountain Construction Services of Butte hired local contractors Anderson’s Masonry and Lyon’s Concrete for the task.
“Don’t be afraid to attempt to be involved because (you) think it’s too large … because (the project) gets broken down into smaller pieces,” Godan said. “We encourage contractors and vendors to review the plans ahead of time.”
According to Godan, plans can be purchased for $175 a set at LCCDC’s office on Main Street in Ronan.
“Even something as simple as window shades can be part of the project,” Godan noted. “It’s good to get local people involved on a project like this.”
To help new and small contractors, LCCDC acts as a consultant for contractors, instructing them on how to become properly documented.
“We develop a checklist of what they need to bid on projects,” Godan said. “We walk them through how to obtain these elements, and finance start-up costs so they could bid.”
This gives contractors education and funding, while also registering them with LCCDC’s mailing list. Contractors on the mailing list are notified when a project comes along that they can be a part of.
Bids for the construction project need to be received by the City of Ronan at City Hall by 1 p.m. April 20.
“So far everything is going as planned,” Godan added.
