Generic Marion sign

Several infrastructure projects in the town of Marion are moving along as the town continues to make forward progress, the Board of Aldermen were told Tuesday.

 

Town Engineer Shaun Miles said work on a sewer rehabilitation project paid for with funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act is nearing complete with approximately 95% of the work done. The project included using cameras to visually inspect the town’s sewer lines, identify problem areas and make repairs.

 

While a full report will be provided to the board at a later date, Miles said the sewer lines were in better shape than expected. He was anticipating more pipe lining would need to be done, which is expensive, but most problems were resolved with point repairs.

 

“Just in general, we were very surprised,” he said. “We thought we were going to do a lot of lining, sewer lining. Gratefully, we didn’t have a lot of that to do. I mean, the lines were in good shape.”

 

On the freshwater side, Miles said this is a good time for the town to begin advertising for bids on drilling a new water well at the site of a planned water treatment plant on the north side of town. He had earlier advised against bidding out the project due to a backlog of work created by federal stimulus spending related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

On Tuesday, Miles explained there are a limited number of contractors who can do what the town needs, and federal ARPA dollars flooded the market with work.

 

Adding to the equation is a stipulation in the law that requires ARPA money be spent by the end of 2026, he said, which meant contractors had a lot to do and not much time to get it done. Marion’s well project, which is being funded through a grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is not subject to the 2026 deadline.

 

“Where they normally do 15 or 20 a year, there was like 150,” he said, “And all that ARPA money has to be spent by 2026.”

 

Now that some of those projects have been completed, more contractors will be available to bid on Marion’s well drilling project, Miles said, and that is what the town has been waiting to see.

 

“They are starting to take on some more work, and I feel confident if we bid it now we’ll get contractors to give good bids,” he said.

 

Timing of the project also lands well with the town’s plans for construction of the water treatment facility. A facility takes roughly six to eight months to build, while a well can take up to a year to complete. By starting the well now, both should be completed around the same time.

 

Mayor Larry Gill asked Miles to make sure the project gets put out for bids so the town can move forward with the work.

 

“Let’s definitely get it bidded out,” he said.

 

Also on Tuesday, the Board of Aldermen voted to accept a conceptual design for a new Town Hall building, which is set to be built adjacent to the current facility. Earlier this year, the town purchased land between the current Town Hall on Dale Drive and Confederate Drive and hired a contractor to clear the property in anticipation of future construction.

 

Gill said the new Town Hall will bring new energy and set Marion up to continue growing for years to come.

 

“I’m so excited about the new Town Hall. I think it’s going to bring a breath of fresh life,” he said.

 

Also included in the plans are a green space and updates for the police and fire department.