Photo by Brent Addleman
Johnsonburg Municipal Authority chairman Hud Caldwell Jr., left, reads over the agenda during last night's meeting. 

By Brent Addleman

Editor

JOHNSONBURG – Engineer Dan Guss updated members of the Johnsonburg Municipal Authority on the progress of the construction of the Wastewater System Upgrade project during last night’s regularly-scheduled meeting at the authority offices along Center Street.
Since last month’s meeting, key aspects of the project have been completed, including the bore under the Clarion River. The bore was completed, but due to the height of the river, the bore had to be extended, causing a greater expense to the project.
“They did run into a problem,” Guss said. “The river was high. They put the receiving pit where we wanted it to be as it would have been under water. We have a change order for extending the bore. The good news is that it was 40 feet and the amount we discussed with them how they are doing that and they are charging for the actual extra cost of the extra casing and the labor.”
The total cost of the extension is $15,481.
The authority approved payment request for $606,597.07 for project costs from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1.
The main activities for the next month of the project include:
n Preparing for the deep excavation for the clarifiers and digesters, with concrete to be poured next week.
n Completion of floor and forming of the walls for the chlorine tank and the river bore, which was completed.
n Old asbestos-containing roof has been removed from the existing buildings, and the existing operations building now has a new roof.
The concrete pour features 660 yards of concrete in a project that contained $300,000 for concrete alone. Other work includes concrete work for tank walls, deeper site piping will be done, the demolition of old grit building is to be completed and the construction of new pump station on the east side of river is scheduled to start.
The authority also approved payment in the amount of $537,425.63 to McCrossin [Construction Company] that includes excavation, concrete and the river bore minus the retainage fee.
Guss also informed the authority of a change order that needed completed.
According to Guss, the change order contains a cost of an additional 40 feet of river bore for $15,481; cost of upgrading HVAC motors in the amount of $4,203; a credit for a building permit in the amount of $7,946. The total of the change order is $12,098
The authority also approved a $50 charge on all hydrants to be put back on. The charge was taken off in 1981 and the borough is required to pay the fee, according to authority member Robert Stump.