Sewer Treatment Plant Project Costs Rise
By Zachary Daum
Mascoutah – The council unanimously approved three change orders and one credit to the sewer treatment plant facility construction project at the March 20 council meeting. This amount increases the cost of the project by over $400,000. It includes $2,019.48 for door thresholds. The staff requested this addition for sound barrier and weather sealing in the administration, headworks and filter buildings. An additional $19,028.50 is required to reroute the digester sludge line to prevent the interference of a 24 inch discharge line. $21,004 will be saved by renovating the existing filter media and infrastructure. Three options were given to restore the digester tank itself, the most expensive of these would be $402,446.98, but would be the most long lasting repair. While sandblasting the interior of the tank many more holes than originally identified were discovered. 101 patches of the tank will be required to fix the tank. This increases the total STP facility construction project’s cost to $14,436,584.20. This cost was discussed at length with representatives of Plocher Construction Company, who explained that these cost increases are not easily planned for and that it is normal for this to happen with a project of this size.
The council also approved a motion to add a four-way stop at the intersection of W. State Street and S. 4th Street, but Nick Seibert pointed out to the council that he had concerns that people would park in front of the stop signs and it was pointed out that businesses in the area will be putting up cones to prevent people from parking there. “When this was first proposed we didn’t know much information about it,” Seibert said. “My impression was that the owner said they wouldn’t need parking but it’s kind of morphed into something else. I don’t know that this is a problem we could have foreseen had the business stuck to their business model.”
Battas said that the nearby businesses promised they’d regulate the parking in the area moving forward.
The council unanimously approved a bid by Kurtis Clay of Collinsville, Ill. in the amount of $1,285 per cut for furnishing all labor, equipment and means for the mowing of the Mascoutah City Cemetery. It was allocated in the 23/24 budget and falls within those allocated funds. This bid is approved for the time between April 1 to October 31 of 2023.
The council approved the purchase of 6,000 feet of additional aluminum wire from Brownstown Electric Supply for the electric department at the cost of $71,100. This wiring is needed for the preparations of future repairs to the electric systems in town.
Mayor McMahan mentioned that he visited Mike Bost’s office grand opening and declared that it was a very nice place, as did councilmen Jack Wyant, Walter Battas and Nick Seibert.
The council also congratulated the Mascoutah school bowling team for winning the state tournament.
