DANVILLE — The new water treatment plant is “processing water as we speak,” Brian Coughlin of Bird & Bull Engineering told the Danville Village Council members Monday.
The project, which began in 1998, is now substantially complete, ahead of the scheduled completion date of Aug. 31. Coughlin said they completed the punch list Monday and received approval of the electrical, plumbing and occupancy permits.
“I know this was a long and arduous process for the village, and for us. But, one great thing is we hit a home run with the stimulus,” said Coughlin. “About half of the project was absorbed by the stimulus money.
“I’d like to commend the mayor, council and administration; you have a great water system now. It’s something you can be proud of. To get a water facility of this size for the money you spent is great.”
The project cost $450,000 overall, with half of the cost being paid through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
There were two small issues that arose through the project, Coughlin said. The first was the computer operating system was fully automatic, and Bird & Bull put in a switch and wiring system to allow the village to operate the system in case of a power failure or other problem with the computers. That add-on cost $1,100.
The second was an extra stage had to be added to the pipe after it was determined it was not the same size as the previous one. That added another $1,900 to the project.
But, Coughlin said, both those issues were addressed and corrected from money in the contingency plan. He said normally they include a 10 to 15 percent contingency into the project’s cost in case of issues like these. Because these two issues cost just about 1 percent of the total, they were absorbed as part of the loan.
That left enough money available, and the village will begin looking for signage for the facility. Council members decided on a durable sign for the side of the building which will include “Village of Danville Water Treatment Facility” in big, bold letters. They agreed to talk with M&M Signs about the project.
Council members will tour the facility prior to its next scheduled meeting. They will meet at the water treatment plant at 7:40 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14. The meeting date was changed because of the Labor Day holiday.
Coughlin also explained to council members the system and why they fell short in being funded by the Ohio Public Works Commission for the Richards Street bridge replacement project.
The village had applied for money for the $350,000 project, only to just fall short of the cutline set by OPWC. Coughlin gave a copy of the grading system and explained what areas he felt they could improve upon the next time they apply for state money through the program.
Coughlin and Danville Village Administrator Robert Shipley are attending a training program today in Licking County, and hope to find more answers and a way to get the project funded at the next application period.
In other news:
•It was announced a Farmers Market will begin in the village on Sept. 1. The market will be at the village park from 4 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday until further notice. So far, 10 vendors have expressed interest in the event.
•Council heard about a low water pressure issue with Lulu’s Restaurant on Market Street. The problem stems from the fact the restaurant and another residence is on the same water line. Council agreed to have the village put a new line in to the restaurant and share the cost with the owner.
•Council also discussed the metering of the water usage at the fire station. Council asked that the old portion of the building be metered, then it will determine whether the flat rate paid by the fire district should be changed.
•The village will put a second basin in after a culvert collapsed on North Street. The basin will eliminate the hole and cost about $1,000.
•Council agreed to continue with the search for banners and hardware to be placed on village street poles.
•Council agreed to purchase the 350-gallon propane tank from Mount Vernon Bottled Gas at a cost of $375.
Council adjourned into executive session at 10:27 p.m. to discuss personnel issues. No action was taken following the executive session.
