Small Town News

Water district hears four bids for pipeline project

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The Belfair Water District held a special meeting Tuesday afternoon to hear four bids from engineering firms eager to take on the district's pipeline removal and replacement project, although a decision will not be made until all three commissioners are present at the April regular meeting.

Washington State Department of Transportation's $18.6-million SR 3 widening project requires that several utility companies - including the Belfair Water District, Mason County Public Utility District 3, Cascade Natural Gas, Qwest Communications and Wave Broadband - move their existing facilities or services out of the SR 3 project's right-of-way.

Although the project, which starts at SR 3's intersection with SR 106, has been shortened from the milepost at McDonald's to NE Belfair Street, water district manager Dave Tipton expects that WSDOT will eventually extend the project along the whole of SR 3 in Belfair.

For the water district that means investing at least $3 million to remove and replace its asbestos concrete pipeline in the corridor.

"We have to do it all at once, or risk paying more in another five years when they decide they need to extend the project," Tipton said. "I'd hate to think what this would cost in another five years."

The engineering firms included Parametrix, which has an office in Bremerton and headquarters in Auburn, BHC based in Seattle, Mor-rissette Engineering with offices in Olympia and Shelton, and N.L. Olson & Associates from Port Orchard.

Each firm focused on how efficiently it could get the project done by the September 1, 2011 deadline and how it would aggressively seek funding for the project.

However, each firm offered different cost estimates for the project, ranging from $2.5 million to $4 million.

"As a ratepayer, I am concerned in the wide range of estimated costs I heard," wrote Ken VanBuskirk in an e-mail sent to commissioners Mike Pope and John Phillips Thursday.

VanBuskirk suggested that the water district hold public hearings on any foreseeable rate increases.

"I want to suggest that in order to get support and buy-in from the public and the ratepayers that you proceed cautiously and with full public disclosure," he wrote.

Until the very last presentation, when Commissioner Mike Pope arrived, only Commissioner Harry Hatlem and Tipton were present at the special meeting.

Pope claims he was not properly notified.

A decision will be made at the water district's next regular meeting Tuesday, April 13, at 7 p.m.

"We have to do it all at once, or risk paying more in another five years when they decide they need to extend the project"

- Dave Tipton



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© 2010 Shelton-Mason County Journal Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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