[Vision2020] Get it right, Right-Minded!

[J Ford]

In regards to the optical project that the City of Moscow is working on with 
Gritman, MSD, the UI, and the State Transportation Department and Dale says:

"Some things of interest here:

    * The cost of the project was estimated at $125,000 with the City’s 
portion representing approximately $65,000 of the total.
    * The final cost came in at nearly $180k. That's 42.4% higher than 
estimated. Not a trivial mistake. "

However, if you read what the City is saying, you see that once again, Dale 
got it wrong:

"Upon examination of the bid responses North Sky’s bid has been determined 
to be non-responsive as they failed to acknowledge the two bid document 
addendums published during the bid period. Therefore we have only one 
responsive bid in the amount of $178,405.00. Staff has identified means of 
reducing the project cost by utilizing alternate installation methods for 
particular segments of the project, primarily by using aerial instead of 
underground installation methods to reach Lena Whitmore Elementary School 
and to substitute a microwave connection from Eggan Youth Center to the 
Aquatics Center.Staff has worked with Sefnco to establish estimated cost 
savings by these modifications and it is estimated that the total project 
cost could be reduced to approximately $100,000, with the City’s portion at 
approximately $39,000.  This would bring the project approximately $25,000 
under budget."

If the Council meeting last night was watched you would have heard Bill 
state:

"This element has been named the East Side Fiber Optics Project. The cost of 
the project WAS(!) estimated at $125,000 with the City’s portion 
representing approximately $65,000 of the total. Two bids on the project 
were received, one from North Sky Communications and one from Sefnco 
Communications in the amounts of $157,182.42 and $178,405.00 respectively."

In other words, what the project IS slated to cost is not what was 
originally budgeted - it is LESS!  And it is NOT just a project between the 
City and MSD, it involves Gritman, UI and the Transportation Department.  No 
one entity is footing the bill totally.

The monies used by MSD for this project have been set aside for the past 
two/three years.  It's been an accumulation of Facility monies that have 
been set aside and added to over the years.  It was started in 2002/03 and 
has been sitting there with occasional additions over the years.  This is a 
project that the MSD knew was going to happen and they have been responsible 
enough to add to the fund until the amount needed is reached.  It has 
nothing to do with the monies that is needed for the fixing of the schools 
in Moscow.



J  ;)

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