West Pelzer approves funds to rebid project

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To upgrade water lines

By Stan Welch

The West Pelzer Town Council held a special meeting Thursday night, and amended an arrangement designed to assure the town funding to complete the rehabilitation of its water lines. The community development block grant (CDBG) funding that the town obtained more than a year ago is slated to become void in the coming weeks, if not claimed and used by the town. The original proposal, approved by Council, provided for the Town’s $48,000 match for the $450,000 cost of the project.

An additional grant of just under $30,000 cannot be applied to the matching funds under the conditions for that smaller grant.

Rusty Burns, who assists the town in pursuing various grants, was once again on hand to explain the circumstances and to encourage the council to approve the proposal, which will use $2,000 a month for the next two years to finance the matching funds. The funds will be drawn from the increased water bill revenues in the town.

Burns explained that the town approved the project a year or so ago, but the low bidder was unable to meet the bonding requirements of the contract. The bids obtained at that time are now useless and the project will have to be bid again.

The Town has traditionally paid the engineering fees as their match for the funds. That will be the case once again, but engineer Bill Dunn was on hand to explain that the first bid was invalid and the cost of rebidding would have to be added to the costs.

The Council, operating with the minimum quorum necessary for a vote, approved the additional cost by a unanimous 3-0 vote.

Burns added that the project, which should take no longer than 120 days once the contract is awarded, will “put West Pelzer in great shape in terms of its water system. You really are so much further ahead than many small towns in the area.”