Rich Pederson, SEH engineer, presented the council with a background update on the 1995 project. The street project on Washburne Avenue, Main Street, and Koronis Drive was expected to be completed by Nov. 15. Due to cold wet weather, it was carried over to the spring of 1996. All the landscaping work was completed by June 1. However, the sod wasn't placed on the project until about June 20.
"The city could assess 50 days at $700 a day plus ask for the seal coating. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and assessed only 21 days plus seal coating, the days between the placement of the black dirt work and sodding," said Pederson.
Mark Magnuson, Bauerly Brothers spokesperson, stressed, "1995 was a wet year and some added dirt work extended the project. We laid the wear course in November under cold weather conditions. The streets are structually sound but raveling appeared this spring. The project carried over to spring and the sod contractor had problems getting the sod out of the ground this spring as the frost wasn't out by mid-May," Magnuson said.
"The city had to do some arm bending to get the sod laid before the Town and Country Days parade (June 19)," Pederson added. "There was a three-week delay from when the black dirt was placed and the sod was laid down." Councilman Bert Stanley reminded Magnuson the contractor was delivering sod for private jobs within the city but not to any city projects.
Councilman Dennis Zimmerman agreed there were difficulties with the weather last fall, but the city is not taking issue with that. "We are concerned with all the delays after June 1, 1996," he stressed.
Magnuson was asked by the council if Bauerly had asked for extended time, he replied no. He said the city requested the wear course be laid when it was so cold in November. City employees nor Bauerly have any documentation as to that request.
After further discussion, Magnuson proposed Bauerly Brothers seal coat the areas that were raveling, plus two other streets and an alley between Washburne and Augusta Avenue. The council accepted the counter proposal with the contingency to improve communications that Bauerly work with Caldwell Asphal,t whom the city had awarded the seal coat bid, and to use granite chips instead of p-rock.
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