Colfax awards $7.9 million contract for new wastewater treatment plant

COLFAX - After more than a year of work, meetings and hearings, the Colfax City Council has finally awarded a contract to build a new wastewater treatment plant. Construction should be completed in late 2008. Reconvening from an adjournment of last week's City Council meeting, the Colfax City Council met Tuesday in a special meeting to award a $7.9 million contract for constructing the new wastewater treatment plant.The contract was awarded to general engineering contractor C.W. Roen in a 4-0 vote. Councilman Joshua Alpine was not present. C.W. Roen was the lowest of four bids received by the city to construct the new plant. Although the council did meet Tuesday in closed session to discuss "anticipated litigation," no mention was made during the public session of the status of a potential lawsuit from Allan and Nancy Edwards and the Environmental Law Foundation regarding alleged pollution generated from the current plant. (The lawsuit has been reported in the Colfax Record June 28 and July 5.)The council also approved a separate $631,910 contract with Eco:Logic for construction management services. The special meeting was held over from last week because final written notification from the State Water Resources Control Board approving the final plans and specifications had not yet arrived. Bids received from the four contractors would have expired before the council had time to act at the next regularly scheduled Colfax City Council meeting on July 24. According to Colfax City Manager Joan Philippe, the letter arrived about an hour before the 6 p.m. Tuesday meeting. "We have been waiting for quite some time to get from the State Water Resources Board Division of Financial Assistance the final plans and specifications approval letter, which we received at about 10 minutes to five today, in order to be able to legally award the bid for this project," Philippe said. Although agreeing that the contract should be awarded, resident Ted Back had questions regarding some of the design changes and the costs associated. Back was one of two public members present."I know you're going to award the bid and I'm not saying not to; it needs to be done," Back said. "But these questions need to be answered. We're talking about a lot of money." Philippe assured Back that she would follow up on his questions. Although a groundbreaking ceremony has not yet been scheduled, Colfax City Engineer Tom Leland said it should be in August."It would be lucky if we got there by the end of the month," Leland said. "It will probably be the first week in August." Colfax Mayor Sharon Gieras expressed relief with the vote result. "Yes, thank you," she said. Councilman Jim Albright was equally elated. "Let's get this baby going," he said. According to its Web site, C.W. Roen Construction Company is a general engineering contractor located in Danville. Founded in 1961, the company specializes in municipal public works construction including water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations, storm water facilities and related projects. Eco:Logic is an environmental consulting firm specializing exclusively in the lifecycle of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, according to its Web site.Michael Althouse can be reached at Michaela@goldcountrymedia.com, or comment at auburnjournal.com.