With bids 40% higher than expected, Allen County commissioners are now exploring their options to improve water lines near the airport.
The county has plans for two related infrastructure projects at the airport in the hopes of eventually developing an industrial park there. One project would install new water lines for Rural Water District No. 8. The other would build sewer lines.
Engineers expected the water line project to cost around $464,148, but when bids were opened Oct. 24, the lowest came in at $756,228.
The higher bids are blamed on supply chain issues and inflation.
Commissioners expressed sticker shock and are concerned costs for an estimated $3 million sewer project also will be much higher than expected, though that project has not yet been let for bids.
They discussed options with Thrive Allen County’s CEO Lisse Regehr and grant writer Rachel Moore on Tuesday.
Moore suggested the scope of both the water and sewer projects could be scaled back to save money, and she’s already discussing the matter with BG Engineering and state officials.
Moore also plans to look for additional grants to tackle parts of the project that can be put on hold.
“I think we can build out whatever we can afford, then we go after another grant and build more over time,” Moore suggested.
INITIALLY, commissioners expected they could pay for both projects almost entirely with federal and state COVID-19 relief money.
Since the pandemic, the county has received more than $5.6 million for airport improvements from various federal, state and aviation grants. That includes money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and a $3 million grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Commissioners expected they’d only have to pay around $327,965 in matching funds, spread out over three years or so.
Construction costs, though, have soared since the pandemic.
With the water line project coming in about $300,000 more than expected, commissioners are bracing for similar results for the sewer project. They seemed to agree with Moore’s recommendation to scale back the projects.
Commissioner Jerry Daniels said he preferred to move forward on the water line project and make adjustments to the sewer project later. It’s a larger project that could offer more flexibility.
