PORT ANGELES — The Dry Creek bridge project came under scrutiny once again by members of the City Council during discussion of a contract amendment earlier this week.
The amendment, passed in a 4-3 vote on Tuesday, authorizes Exceltech Consulting Inc. to do additional design work on the pedestrian bridge that is expected to be constructed by November.
The additional $9,000 added to the contract will be paid by the National Park Service — which initially was going to do the additional design work itself — but two of the three dissenting council members said they could not support the motion because they feel that Exceltech is already getting too much of a good thing.
“My reservations haven’t changed,” said council member Brad Collins.
“I believe the contract was flawed to begin with,” he added.
Council member Cherie Kidd, who voted no along with Collins and council member Max Mania, said she could not support it because the project “seemed really over costly to begin with.”
The city hired Exceltech in February to design the 200-foot-long bridge, which will be part of the Olympic Discovery Trail, for $164,800.
The bridge, which will cross a 40-foot ravine, also will carry a sewer line from the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe to the city. The sewer line is part of preparations for a $350 million federal project to remove the two Elwha River dams beginning in 2011.
The additional design work approved by the council will be for Exceltech to design the sewer pipe itself.
The same three council members opposed the initial $164,800 contract when the council approved it because they felt that the design cost — at about 25 percent of the $673,100 total budget for design and construction of the bridge — was too high. The amended contract is $173,800.
City Public Works and Utilities Director Glenn Cutler said design contracts usually come in around 15 percent of the total project’s budget.
When the time the council approved the contract in February, Cutler said he felt that the cost was high at first but defended the selection of Exceltech because it was the most qualified firm.
He also said that design contracts for relatively small construction projects, which he considered the bridge to be, tend to be a higher portion of the budget.
Exceltech was one of three companies to submit proposals for the design contract. The other two were Berger/ABAM Engineering, Inc. and Claussen Engineering.
Cutler once again defended the selection of Exceltech after the Tuesday council meeting.
He said again that he was surprised that the contract “was that number” but added that his staff vetted Exceltech’s estimate and determined that it was a “reasonable cost.”
Asked if he requested the other two companies to submit a cost estimate, he said no because:
“You go with who has the best qualifications.”
The city has had $5.68 million worth of contracts with Exceltech over the past seven years.
The Lacey-based company was previously hired to manage construction of the Eighth Street bridges, The Gateway transit center, and last year’s Peabody Street reconstruction projects.
It also was hired as engineering consultant for designing a wider Lauridsen Boulevard bridge near Race Street and putting together a large grant application.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
