By Emma Rausch
emma@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – The MSD of Wabash County Board of Education continued its talks on the Southwood sewer project at its meeting Tuesday night, Feb. 14.
The project, which would update the Southwood elementary and high school existing sanitary system, would cost the board approximately $600,000, according to Keith Bryant, of United Consulting, which designed the project’s layout.
Bryant advised the MSD board on the project at its Jan. 24 meeting.
However, the board questioned if it should explore other design firms before contracting with United Consulting.
Board member Gary Fadil broached the topic, noting that the amount for the design phase concerned him.
“It’s what $600,000 total, or just about,” Fadil asked Steve Holley, MSD maintenance and transportation supervisor.
“For the whole project, yes,” Holley replied.
“Almost $110,000 is just for design and, not even that because then you look at the extra $50,000 and then you’re up to $160,000, almost a third (of the whole cost) and that bothers me a lot,” Fadil continued. “So do we need to go out and find somebody else? Because that’s $160,000 of just bid money on just designing.”
Board President Kevin Bowman concurred with Fadil’s concerns.
“I agree with you completely because it seems as though we don’t make them compete putting out bids while the other guys work for the last dollar,” he said.
Holley said he has no problem looking to other consulting firms for price comparisons on the design portion of the project.
“(The cost) also surprised me when I saw it,” he told the board. “The only reason why we went with United (Consulting) is because they did our north plants a few years ago and we were real pleased with them. That engineering part was really low, or that’s what we thought.
“That (project) was a little more easier, though.”
The board has time to decide, Holley continued.
“This year we won’t be able to change things over because of the length of the schedule and getting things here and we want to do that in the summer months,” he said.
The board took no action on the project.
In other news, Superintendent Mike Keaffaber reported the district’s official average daily membership count to be 2,078, an increase of 40 students from its September count.