MVSD Board hires company to design repair plan

The details should be worked out by the end of next week.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MINERAL RIDGE -- Months of discussion and delays have finally ended, and work will begin later this month on design plans for much-needed repairs at the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District.
Directors agreed during a special meeting Wednesday to hire CT Consultants Inc. of Willoughby to do the work.
Some details of the contract need to be ironed out.
Issues
Atty. Charles Richards, legal counsel for the MVSD, brought to the meeting three pages of questions and concerns about the contract supplied by CT Consultants.
He noted there were a number of issues to be address before the document is signed, but stressed it should only take a few hours of discussions between the sides.
Once the contract is approved, CT will complete the remaining 5 percent of the design plans, originally drafted by the company almost 10 years ago.
The plans, which primarily center on repairs to the district's 16 filters, were part of a capital improvement project stalled when the MVSD was audited by the state.
For a price of $408,000, CT Consultants will complete and upgrade the designs as necessary, as well as do any other needed work, including bidding services, post-construction services and asbestos removal.
Richards said he expects the contract details will be worked out by July 11.
Craig Juday of CT said finishing the design plans, securing loans for the district and preparing for the bidding process should be completed by the end of the year.
Contract impasse
Meanwhile, a negotiating session between employees and the district ended in an impasse and a fact finder will handle the next step.
Richards told the board that talks stalled Tuesday after several hours. A fact finder will meet with both sides July 10.
The labor contract with 35 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1649 was set to expire June 30, but directors voted last month to extend the deal until July 31.
slshaulis@vindy.com