Upset at error, Orleans rejects Bernier, Carr for 2nd project
LAFARGEVILLE — The Orleans Town Council, upset over a Watertown engineering firm's mistake, rescinded its decision to hire the firm for another project at a board meeting Thursday.
Town Supervisor Donna M. Chatterton said Bernier, Carr & Associates failed to include 32 water meter pits for mobile homes in the original LaFargeville water meter project bid, forcing the town to spend at least an additional $46,000 to finish the project properly. The original bid called for only eight meter pits when the town actually needed 40.
Jared J. Thisse, project manager at Bernier, Carr, said the project engineer initially determined that those meters did not need pits when he wrote the bid.
"The engineer's perspective was that most of these could be done in a traditional fashion," Mr. Thisse said.
Steve Dulmage, chief operator of the town's Department of Public Works, said the town's contractor, J.E. Sheehan Contracting Corp., Potsdam, and DPW workers determined the meters for the mobile homes will freeze in the winter if they're not installed underground in a meter pit.
The town has until June 15 to install all 337 water meters in LaFargeville to be eligible for a 90 percent stimulus reimbursement. The town's initial goal was to complete the project by April.
The estimated $231,000 project is funded through a 90:10 matching Green Innovation Program grant, which is administered by the state Environmental Facilities Corp.
Ms. Chatterton said the town must bite the bullet and pay for the additional work now to prevent future headaches.
According to an engineer's report, the meter project still will be finished under budget by $11,101 if the town decides to spend $38,930, not including labor, to have its own Highway Department and DPW crew finish the work. However, the cost of in-house labor, about $7,000, will not be covered by the stimulus grant program and the water district would have to bear that extra cost.
Alternatively, the town could have J.E. Sheehan workers finish the job for $126,000 and end up going $76,000 over budget.
Following hours of heated discussion among the town board and LaFargeville residents, the council rescinded a motion from its February meeting to hire the firm to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Fishers Landing water project. Ms. Chatterton said the town probably will hire Fourth Coast Inc., Clayton, for the job instead.
"Somebody's at fault, but it's not the town's nor the taxpayers'," said Martin P. Stevens, LaFargeville, who argued that hamlet water users should not be responsible for the unexpected cost. Councilwoman Gwen Kirkby said Bernier, Carr should refund the town for the additional expenditures.
"They are the ones that screwed up," she said.
The town board was unable to reach a consensus on how to move forward with the project Thursday night and will discuss the matter further at a special meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the town office on Sunrise Avenue.
The meter project is part of the town's long-term flow management plan, which was initiated by order of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
