County commissioners met engineers halfway Tuesday morning by granting them more time to complete the landfill cell project. Jared Brooks, an engineer with Schwab Eaton of Manhattan, reported on the construction of a new cell that has faced repeated delays.
In 2012, commissioners approved construction of two additional 10-acre cells within the next 15 to 20 years. One was constructed in 2014 at a cost of roughly $1.5 million. It is expected to be filled in less than a year.
In February 2023, commissioners approved a bid of $2.36 million from Halcomb Construction of Nevada, Mo. At the time, they expected bids would be closer to $3.8 million. Now, however, costs are continuing to climb.
The project began in March 2023 and was initially expected to be completed by March 2024. The contract allows for 365 calendar days with an additional allowance for inclement weather. To date, there have been two change orders regarding the project.
It was discovered the site did not provide the same abundance of fatty red clay the previous cell’s site boasted. “As the contractor started clearing the area and stripping the topsoil, peeling everything back, we learned that the fatty clays were in limited availability,” said Brooks. “Not enough to build a 10 acre cell.”
The first change order included a test pad exercise to determine the feasibility of adding bentonite to the site’s existing mix of sand and shale, lean clays. The change order also allowed for an additional 45 calendar days for the project, moving the completion date to May 3.
In December 2023, another change order required a different liner at an additional cost of $437,399 and another 45 additional days.
“We went through with the full-scale addition of bentonite to the soil liner, in which we did not add calendar days at that time,” noted Brooks. “The contractor requested them, but we wanted to make sure that they were going to stay on site and keep working.” Following this, there was a delay getting bentonite on site. Brooks attributed the delay to poor weather. “We had a 15-day shutdown in January,” he added. “They ultimately started liner construction in February 2024.”
Tabulating all the weather days, including the recent heavy rains, Brooks stated that there are 45 days that needed to be added, extending the deadline to mid-June. “This is by contract,” he said. The new deadline comes with an additional $129,072 price tax.
Brooks recommended the commission approve the additional days, but hold off on the funding. “I think these guys are making a solid effort to complete it, but we still have a lot to go in the project,” he said. “My recommendation is that we focus on getting the project done as quickly and efficiently as we can by figuring out this extension and setting a firm completion date. Then, as the clay liner construction wraps up and we’re able to do our final test to certify that it meets specifications, we touch base about the monetary compensation that they are asking for.”
Ed and Will Rogers, of Halcomb Construction, noted that the funding would go towards equipment rental and fuel costs for two months, with no additional labor costs.
Commissioner David Lee expressed his concern that the cell had not been thoroughly inspected to determine it had the same clay as the previous cell, which would be at no fault of the contractor. Ultimately, the commissioners agreed to approve the 45 additional days and revisit the request for additional funding after more work has been completed.
IN OTHER NEWS, Steve Green spoke to commissioners on behalf of the Iola Amateur Radio Club. A recent sale of land has left the club without a location for its repeater station and antennae. Green hopes to relocate the station, with the commission’s approval, to a county tower that is located south of the landfill. He noted the repeater allows the club to communicate over long distances and provides a service for when communications go down. The commission did not make a decision on the matter during Tuesday’s meeting.
Nathan Fawson, Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, gave an overview of the services the organization provides and requested $167,038 in mill levy support for 2025. As a nonprofit organization, this funding supports their mission to provide, advocate, and coordinate mental health care for Allen County residents regardless of their ability to pay. No decision was made.
Public Works Director Mitch Garner shared that Robert Mills of the Topeka Air Museum has been in contact with him, wanting to build a 50X50 hangar at the airport. “They’re going to pay for it and they’re just wanting to know if they can put it on,” he said. Commissioner Jerry Daniels asked Garner to get a letter of intent from the museum.
