Bids higher than expected

FORT RECOVERY — Bids came in significantly higher than expected.

Now the village is trying to figure out how to cover the additional cost.

Fort Recovery Village Council heard from village administrator Randy Diller about concerns related to the cost of constructing a second water tower on the north side of the village.

Initial plans called for building a 250,000-gallon elevated water tower — it would mirror the existing tower located along Industrial Drive on the southeastern side of the village — with an additional 2,600 feet of water line to connect it to the village’s distribution system.

The village applied at the end of 2021 for $1.25 million through the Ohio Department of Development for the project, which was estimated to cost around $1.45 million at that time. Although it was denied the first round of funding, the village was awarded a $1.25 million grant in June 2023 from the Ohio BUILDS water infrastructure program. 

Last year, the project was estimated to cost about $1.7 million.

Estimates for the project in February came to nearly $2.2 million.

As of March 14, that amount continued to climb.

The lowest bid — it was from Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, Kentucky — came in at $2.4 million. (Other bids from Pittsburg Tank and Tower Group of Henderson, Kentucky, and Phoenix Fabricators of Avon, Indiana, were more than $3 million.)

“The bids were all over the board, it was shocking to me,” noted council member Cliff Wendel.

“We’re obviously we’re in a quandary here,” said Diller.

He said he reached out to the Ohio Department of Development — it is administering the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant Program — to see if alternative funding would be available for the project.

“Which, basically, (it was) a solid no,” he said. “Yes, everybody is facing that, maybe not on the scale we see, but everybody is facing the shortage because of the increased prices.”

Diller said he reached out to various sources Monday in an effort to seek additional funding for the project. He pointed out the village has 30 days to accept one of the bids, and he said he hopes to have more answers at the next village council meeting.

Also Monday, Diller noted the village is looking into an Ohio Water Development Authority design loan. It would be a low-interest funding option to complete design work for switching the water plant from a lime and caustic soda treatment to a reverse osmosis membrane softening operation.

The village applied earlier this year for a $4 million grant through the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant Program to assist in paying for the project, an undertaking estimated at $4.35 million for initial construction costs. The new softening process would decrease the village’s chemical costs by an estimated $210,000 annually. PMG Consulting is currently working on a proposal for engineering and design of the project.

In other business, council members Al Post, Luke Knapke, Scott Pearson, Erik Fiely, Greg Schmitz and Wendel:

•Heard the village will be adding an oxidizer to the wastewater lagoons next week and increased aeration and mixing by early April. “Those things together, we’re hopeful will bring us up to the (dissolved oxygen) level which in turn will help with our odors,” said Diller. He also noted plans to meet with a company this week to discuss details related to dredging the lagoons.

•Appointed Tyler Wuebker to Fort Recovery Park Board. His term runs through 2028.

•Designated First Financial Bank as a depository for village funds. The resolution approved every five years by the village.

•Heard village fiscal officer Roberta Staugler will be attending the Ohio Auditor of State’s annual conference for local government officials in Columbus from March 26 to March 28.