Low Bids For Capital Improvements Worry Waterford's Elected Officials

There are all kinds of improvements underway at municipal buildings in Waterford and many of them are being done for less than expected.

You'd think that would be good news but, though Waterford's elected officials aren't complaining about the price tag, members of the Board of Finance and of the Representative Town Meeting did raise concerns about the quality of work being done for what they considered to be fairly low bids. 

At last night's Board of Selectmen meeting, Jordan Fire House was given the go-ahead to hire YB Paving of Seymour to pave the Jordan Fire House parking lot for $97,890. That sounds like a lot of money, but both the RTM and the Board of Finance noted that the cost was less than anticipated for the work involved. 

Similarly, the RTM and the Board of Finance questioned the low bid of $82,290 for Lombardi Construction LLC of Montville to replace the sewer main at Richards Grove Road.

"We're pleased to have a low bid," said Waterford First Selectman Dan Steward. However, he noted, the cost of the job is less than anticipated and, given that the job is necessitated by poor quality workmanship in the first place, the Board of Selectmen is keen to verify that proper inspections would be conducted to ensure the job was done according to plan. 

Neftali Soto, chief engineer for Waterford's Utility Commission said he was confident that the work would be completed according to plan. Furthermore, if all the paperwork was turned in by this week as expected, he added, the anticipated 20 days it would take to get the job done would ensure that all roads would be open in time for Thanksgiving weekend.  

The Board of Selectmen had fewer questions regarding other projects. The Waterford Police Department is in the process of getting a new roof and now, the department has approval to purchase seven new 2014 police vehicles, for a total cost of $203,607.50.

This new acquisition will mark a big departure for the police department in a number of ways. For the first time, all the vehicles are Chevrolets, which were chosen because the equipment the department has for the more traditional Crown Victorias is compatible with Chevy vehicles. The biggest difference, Chief Murray Pendleton said, is that for the first time ever, the police department has purchased 6-cylinder vehicles. 

A funding request for $38,995, approved by the Board of Selectmen last night that will be forwarded to the Board of Finance for its approval, will also address longstanding problems at the Community Center, which needs a new heating and air conditioning system. Funding is already in place to pay to replace the floor in the dining room.