Judges approve MVSD dam study plan

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Two judges have approved a request by the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District for permission to hire MS Consultants Inc. of Youngstown to conduct a “value engineering study” of the district’s Meander Reservoir dam and spillway improvement project.

The judges OK’d the request without MVSD’s having to advertise for a firm to conduct the study.

The judgment entry granting the approval was signed this week by Judge Lou A. D’Apolito of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court and his Trumbull County colleague, Judge Ronald Rice.

The dam study contract with MS, not to exceed $152,000, would be in addition to MS’ $7,200-a-week contract to serve as the district’s operator of record and chief engineer from Feb. 23 to June 30.

The judges’ decision allows the district to bypass the normal state legal requirement that it advertise weekly for five consecutive weeks in a general circulation newspaper for a firm to conduct the study.

During the study, MS would evaluate the preliminary design of the dam and spillway improvement project that was produced by the engineering firm of Gannett Fleming Inc. of Camp Hill, Pa., with the goal of reducing the project cost below the estimated $28 million.

Matthew Blair, MVSD board president, said MS is a logical choice to perform this study because of the knowledge it achieved from its prior professional work concerning MVSD’s Mineral Ridge dam.