The Bolivar County Board of Supervisors and other officials have been working to make sure everything stays on task and on target with the project.
“I need permission to request materials for Lamont,” said Road Manager David James in Monday’s supervisors meeting.
James has been overseeing a couple of aspects of the Lamont project, though construction was awarded to D&E Contractors based out of Arlington, Tenn.
“We’ve already started on the access road and we need materials,” James said.
“Clay? Gravel?” asked County Engineer Bob Eley. “We’re supplying that. The county is going to supply that.”
James and his road crew are working on building the access road that will lead into the treatment facility.
Originally, this road was part of the total construction contract. However, it was switched to a county project after the bid was accepted.
“If you recall, we originally had that in the bid,” Eley explained to the supervisors. “In order to reduce the bid, we put in a change order.”
In early May, Eley was working with the contractor, the Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta and the county to figure out a way to reduce the cost of the project.
“I’m trying to get the county to do it for a lower cost than the contractor,” Eley explained during the first May meeting.
According to his estimates, three things could be altered in the contract to reduce the bill by about $30,000.
“The contractor said he'd reduce his contract fee about that much,” said Eley in May. “The bottom line is I think we can get it back within budget if the road manager (will do this).”
By having James bring in gravel and pave the access road, then have the county build a small building on the site, the fees were ultimately reduced.
Ground broke at the site at the beginning of July. During the ceremony, Eley noted that the project is expected to be complete by December.