Jasper OKs work on treatment plant

Saturday, March 19, 2011

BY THE NUMBERSEnergy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant summary:• $100,000: Grant amount• $10,000: Local match from JasperSource: City of JasperPROJECT WORK TO DATE:Jasper Water Treatment Plant HVAC system-$64,685.00 (awarded to JDC Mechanical)Anderson Ridge Pumping Station remote terminal unit controller-$21,524 (awarded to Allied Electrical)Design and bidding services for the energy grant-$5,836.52 (awarded to CTI Engineers and Smith Engineering)Source: City of Jasper

JASPER, Tenn.-City administrators unanimously have approved a contract to improve the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the Jasper Water Treatment Plant.

"What is in [the plant] right now is original equipment, and some areas are not ventilated at all," said Gary Cosby of CTI Engineers, Inc. "If we're going to be putting in new electronic equipment, we've got to have a better conditioning system."

Officials originally received four bids on the project on Feb. 3, but felt the prices were too steep.

"It was higher than what we felt we could afford to do," Cosby said. "With the permission of the grant agencies, we came back to rebid it amongst the four original bidders to try to get lower prices."

The alternate bid prices did not go down much, Mayor Billy Simpson said.

The low bid was $64,685, submitted by JDC Industrial Mechanical Systems in Cleveland, Tenn.

The Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen awarded the contract this week.

"This work is one of the projects through the [Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant]," Cosby said. "There are several other projects that go into that, and this is one of the pieces of that grant."

The energy grant money totals $100,000 plus a $10,000 local match from Jasper, and officials said the remaining money will be used to upgrade the HVAC systems at the Jasper City Hall and the public library.

When the new system is connected at City Hall, the old unit will be installed at the town's sports complex concession stand to help alleviate some problems that building has had since it was built, Simpson said.

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"They tell us the unit can be installed quite easily at the sports complex, and it will really give us a boost there," Simpson said.

The higher-than-expected price for the water treatment plant work will put the overall project over budget by an estimated $5,800, but Cosby said Jasper is "getting a lot in return."

"It's a really good deal for Jasper," Alderman Steve Looney said. "We have to spend approximately 15 percent of the total cost [of this project], which is really not too bad."

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.