Dave Steele
photo by Claire Henley Miller
The Chattanooga City Council on Tuesday discussed the resolution to award a $5,448,802 contract to Chase Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc., allowing the company to perform DuPont Pump Station and Basin Improvements.
A recent Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Study identified areas where groundwater, or stormwater, seep into the sewer system through leaky pipes and improper storm drain connections. The DuPont Pump Station and Basin Improvements will allow the city to identify the pipes that need to be rehabilitated or replaced, and to reline interceptor sewer lines, government officials said.
With construction expected to begin this spring, Councilman Chip Henderson at Tuesday’s work session requested that the council receive updated reports throughout the project so the City Council could account for the money that is being spent.
“In the past we haven’t always been kept abreast on work that’s been signed off on and then later found out it wasn’t up to standards,” Councilman Henderson said to Justin Holland, the city’s deputy administrator of public works.
Councilman Yusuf Hakeem asked Mr. Holland if only specialized companies could perform this task.
Mr. Holland answered, “Not necessarily.” He said the contract is with a local company, Chase Plumbing, that functions as the overall general contractor. However, for certain tasks required in this plan, Chase Plumbing will have to sublet to other contractors outside the city.
Councilman Ken Smith wanted to know specifically where the work would be taking place, since it will occur near Cassandra Smith Road, which is already in poor shape.
Mr. Holland said he would get that information to the City Council.
On another topic, Blythe Bailey, the city’s transportation administrator, discussed the request for more money in the endeavor to rehabilitate Wilcox Tunnel. The Department of Transportation seeks an additional $101,996 to revise the contract with Hartman Walsh Industrial Service to amount to $1,438,737.
The reason for this, Mr. Bailey said, is because one of the top priorities in the project is drying out the tunnel. More work was involved than expected in this process, causing its price to shoot up. But this does not affect the opening date in April, Mr. Bailey said.
To close the meeting, President and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber Bill Kilbride introduced the organization’s new vice president of policy and education, David Steele.
Mr. Kilbride touched on Chattanooga 2.0 and its endeavor to increase student success in Hamilton County, as well as its goal to enhance individual skill sets to amplify one’s career in Chattanooga.
"We have great opportunities for work here," Mr. Kilbride said, "yet we struggle to find high school students who are adequate for these jobs."
“There are certainly many challenges ahead of us,” Mr. Steele told the City Council. “But the greatest resources that we have are the resources that you’ve cultivated over the years.”