LAKEPORT ? The Lakeport City Council stands to receive an unexpected savings on a drainage and sidewalk project on South Main Street after it unanimously approved a contract Nov. 4 for just less than $240,000 with Argonaut Constructors of Santa Rosa.
According to City Engineer Scott Harter, curbs, gutters and sidewalks, including an underground drainage system, will be installed on South Main Street between Campbell Lane and Industrial Avenue, and will connect with existing sidewalk in front of Kragen Auto Parts.
“This is the kind of thing we need. This means there will be more money for more road projects,” Lakeport Mayor Buzz Bruns said Monday.
The city earmarked $320,142 for the project in its Public Works budget, according to a memo Harter wrote to the council. The price the city council agreed to pay Argonaut represents an approximately 25-percent savings over that amount. Bruns said the bid came in lower than the other eight bids the city received for the project because contractors are looking for work during an economic downturn that has thinned the job market.
Councilman Roy Parmentier was not as optimistic that the city will see any savings.
“You can be sure contract change orders will put it back up there,” Parmentier said.
The project has been in the works for approximately four years and was originally slated for completion last year, according to Parmentier. In that time, Parmentier said the city accumulated a pool of Indian gaming money designed to mitigate the impacts of casinos on the communities in which they do business.
He said approximately $172,000 of the South Main Street drainage and sidewalk project money will come from that pool, despite the fact that the money flow was cut off last fiscal year.
“Governor (Arnold) Schwarzenegger, in his infinite wisdom, decided he could spend it better than local entities,” Parmentier said.
Harter said no date has yet been set for construction to begin. He said an award notice was issued, and Argonaut has 15 days to sign and return it with insurance and bonding requirements. The project is not a redevelopment project, but is included in the city”s business plan.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
