Published: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 5:58 a.m.
Council declares emergency to replace sewer pipe
The Everett City Council passed an emergency resolution Wednesday night so crews could get to work faster replacing a faulty sewer pipe that collects the waste of 15,000 people.
That pipe ruptured in the 11800 block of Silver Way a few weeks ago, sending 1 million gallons of raw sewage straight through one Everett man's yard and into nearby North Creek, said Dave Davis, public works director. A forensic analysis showed that other parts of the pipe are susceptible to breaks.
By declaring an emergency, the city can bypass the normal bidding process, and award a contract later this month, Davis said. There will still be a bidding process, but it will be abbreviated and speeded along. Project budget to replace the pipe: $1.8 million.
The ordinance includes a provision for the wronged homeowner too. It gives the mayor the authority to settle property damage claims. In this case, only one homeowner is expected to file a claim. City Attorney Jim Iles said he expects that claim to be around $200,000. The city is self-insured so it will pick up the tab.
That bypasses the normal way the city handles damage claims and no one at the meeting completely explained why it was necessary to give the mayor the authority to handle the matter. Councilman Drew Nielsen brought up the topic, and floated an amendment that would have sent that claim through the normal process, but he didn't have support from his colleagues.
That pipe ruptured in the 11800 block of Silver Way a few weeks ago, sending 1 million gallons of raw sewage straight through one Everett man's yard and into nearby North Creek, said Dave Davis, public works director. A forensic analysis showed that other parts of the pipe are susceptible to breaks.
By declaring an emergency, the city can bypass the normal bidding process, and award a contract later this month, Davis said. There will still be a bidding process, but it will be abbreviated and speeded along. Project budget to replace the pipe: $1.8 million.
The ordinance includes a provision for the wronged homeowner too. It gives the mayor the authority to settle property damage claims. In this case, only one homeowner is expected to file a claim. City Attorney Jim Iles said he expects that claim to be around $200,000. The city is self-insured so it will pick up the tab.
That bypasses the normal way the city handles damage claims and no one at the meeting completely explained why it was necessary to give the mayor the authority to handle the matter. Councilman Drew Nielsen brought up the topic, and floated an amendment that would have sent that claim through the normal process, but he didn't have support from his colleagues.
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