White Oak: Project placed on hold while relief money is researched
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@youmvi.com
White Oak officials aren’t sure how federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funds being issued next month can be used.
The council’s uncertainty about what American Rescue Plan Act dollars for municipalities can be used for led to the body holding off on taking action Monday on a long-discussed infrastructure project.
During a workshop meeting prior to the regular meeting, Engineer Ken Hillman told council that bids had been returned for a project to secure an unstable hill and retaining wall beneath Center Street Extension. Hillman said Clearwater Construction was the lowest bidder, offering a contract price of $314,546.
“It came in higher than we anticipated,” Hillman said, attributing a higher bid price to the cost of construction materials, such as precast concrete, having “gone up significantly” amid the pandemic. There have also been reports across the state and nation of other construction and building materials, such as PVC piping and lumber increasing in cost.
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