The Meridian City Council voted Tuesday to approve continuing work on the city’s sewer system, as well as lining up contractors in anticipation of spring paving projects.

 

Public Works Director David Hodge said the Highway 80 Trunkline Phase 2B sewer project will replace roughly 5,500 feet of sewer pipe stretching from Grand Avenue to 18th Avenue. Hemphill Construction came in with the lowest bid of $4,920,270 for the work out of three bids received, he said.

 

“It’s a 24-inch gravity sewer main that’s to partly line and mostly replace the existing line that’s there now,” he said.

 

Repairing and replacing the Highway 80 Trunkline, a main route for wastewater on its way to the city’s treatment plants, is a critical part of Meridian’s work to comply with a federal consent decree from the Environmental Protection Agency. The city, in 2019, agreed to the decree to address chronic sanitary sewer overflows, many of which are focused around the Highway 80 main.

 

The $4.9 million will go directly to construction costs, Hodge said, and not toward engineering or consulting fees.

 

In a separate contract, the council approved an annual term bid with Falcon Contracting and Walter Construction for in-place asphalt, cold milling and asphalt repair.

 

The 12-month contract acts as a retainer allowing city officials to direct the contractors to complete paving projects without having to go through a bid process each time. Hodge said the city’s current contract, also with Falcon Contracting, is set to expire in February, and this new contract will take its place.

 

“We’re estimating we’ll have about $1.2 million right now with internet sales tax funds and some funds we received from the state to help us pave,” he said. “So we’ll get with the mayor at that time and see what roads we’ll start paving.”

 

Both contracted and in-house paving efforts have been sidelined throughout the winter as paving is weather dependent; however, that will likely change as the city moves toward spring. Hodge said he expects to see some paving days no later than March.

 

“Maybe we’ll get a few days in February,” he said.

 

In other business, the City Council:

— Approved a task order with Neel-Schaffer Inc. for up to $123,360 for upgrades, design and construction phase engineering at the city’s south and east wastewater treatment plants.

— Authorized a task order with Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. not to exceed $50,559.98 for SSO monitoring equipment and maintenance.

— Agreed to rebuild pump No. 3 at the B Street freshwater treatment plant at a cost of $37,000.

— Approved a memorandum of understanding with Meridian Public School District for in-kind use of the Frank Cochran Center.

 

The council will next meet for a work session beginning 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, in the third floor auditorium at City Hall.