Change orders approved

The $7.3 million MVSD improvement project will likely be completed by June.
By TIM YOVICH
Vindicator Trumbull Staff
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District's board of directors has approved $113,700 in change orders, the majority of these going to its consulting engineer.
The board OK'd an additional $65,310 Wednesday to CT Consultants of Youngstown on its $408,000 contract.
The engineering firm originally sought an increase of $131,000 for work on a $7.3 million water filter improvement project.
The added expense will be taken from the project's contingency fund that is included in the original overall cost.
The project calls for the upgrading of 16 water filters. Work has been completed on six of them; five are off-line while they are being worked on, and five that haven't been upgraded remain on-line.
The district provides bulk water to its members cities of Youngstown, Niles and McDonald, who in turn sell it to their customers.
In making its case, CT has argued that the project that was supposed to take a year will take 18 months to complete.
CT asserted there were holdups in air conditioning and heating work. Also, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency raised environmental issues, such as historic preservation.
Estimate on completion
Frederick M. Cash, CT construction administration manager, said Wednesday that he's optimistic the work will mostly likely be completed in June -- July at the latest.
Under the change order agreement, CT will continue to have an engineer on the job for four additional months. If the work runs into a fifth month, CT will be paid an hourly rate.
Tom Holloway, MVSD director, recommended the additional payment to CT after having two negotiation meetings with CT representatives.
Board member Matt Blair reiterated that he had no complaints about CT's work quality.
Other change orders approved on the project are an additional $26,041 to A.P. O'Horo Co., the project general contractor, and $22,380 to Conti Electric Corp., mechanical and electrical contractor.
O'Horo's original contract was for $5,366,000; Conti's was for $1,074.000.
The board has been cautious to approve change orders because the project was halted in 1997 when a former board paid a company $2.4 million for work it never performed.
yovich@vindy.com