RIDGEWAY – It came as a surprise to the Ridgeway Town Council earlier this year when they learned that the town’s new water tower would cost a total of $669,258.13 – about $45,000 more than they were expecting.
Armed with a $500,000 Rural Infrastructure Authority grant in November 2016, the previous Town of Ridgeway administration contracted with Civil Engineering of Columbia (CEC), for $39,800, to prepare a drawing and bid package for construction of the tower. CEC estimated that cost at $510,000.
Phoenix Construction won the construction contract with the low bid of $549,153.
Earlier this year the current administration learned that several required items had not been included in CEC’s bid package – $16,400 for necessary piping, $11,610.13 for grounding, $7,985 for communication equipment and $7,500 for three power poles for a total additional cost of $43,495.13. This did not include the $39,800 for engineering and $10,000 for attorney fees, bringing total cost for the project to $669,258.13.The Town’s portion of the cost, $169,258.13, was paid for out of the capital expenditures fund.
During the regular meeting last week, Council voted unanimously to approve the additional $7,500 for the poles from SCE&G, $7,985 to Hobgood Electric for grounding and $11,610.13 to Collins Pumps & Controls for communication equipment.
The bid was also short on fencing costs. CEC’s bid estimate called for only 360 linear feet of fencing for the one-acre parcel. Phoenix agreed to credit the Town for the $8,640 included in the original bid for 360 linear feet of fencing and gate. At a special called meeting last Saturday, Council approved Gamecock Fencing to fence the entire one acre with that credit for the lower cost, $8,320.
“This completes the May 7 deadline to close the project,” Mayor Heath Cookendorfer said.
Funding was also approved for the lease of a folding and inserting machine for town hall to facilitate the monthly billling for the water service. Town Clerk Vivian Case asked that she be able to demo the equipment in operation before making the decision as to which lease to accept. Both leases are under $4000 for 48 months.
Volunteers from the Church of Latter Day Saints will be visiting Ridgeway to clear pine straw from around the Century House/Town Hall, plant flowers and pick up litter on April 27, 2019.
Brad Hoffman and Valerie Clowney were on hand to solicit sponsorship participation by the Town of Ridgeway in the upcoming Fairfield County Ag & Art Farm and Art Tour on June 15 and 16, 2019. No decision was made.