It’s a case of good news and bad news when it comes to repaving part of Kahil Road.
The good news, according to Public Works Director Roy Vestal, is there is money in the budget for the work, almost $740,000.
The bad news, according to Vestal, is that the low bid for the work came in at a bit more than $900,000 from Colorado Paving Inc. CPI has done business with the city in the past.
“We have two options,” Vestal told Fort Lupton City Council during a Feb. 23 workshop meeting. “We can award the whole thing. I can trim it, but there is not enough for $200,000.”
One example of project trimming, according to Vestal, would be to take out proposed sidewalk work on the north side of Denver Avenue, a savings of $42,000.
“There are no big-ticket items” to cut, Vestal said.
“We can’t exceed the budget that much without trimming some things,” Mayor Zo Stieber said.
Fee increase mulled
The mandatory repairs to the city’s wastewater treatment plant have had an impact on the city’s desire to increase its tap fees. The city has to find $37 million to make the upgrades.
During a February council work session, Vestal outlined a plan to boost the ¾-inch tap fee to $7,500 per tap, increasing sewer tap fees to $9,500, and adjust other size fees accordingly.
Vestal outlined a couple of options around the timing of the increase during the Feb. 23 study session. One was to increase the fee effective Jan. 1. The other, which the council seemed to like, was to make it effective April 15.
“We need to get it handled in light of the wastewater treatment plant,” Stieber said.
“Some of the homes are deep into the building phase,” Vestal said.
Stieber said the city can’t go back and make the fee retroactive.
“We don’t want people buying services and not getting to use them,” Stieber said. “It’s appropriate to leave them where they thought they’d be.”
Staff comments said Fort Lupton was at the bottom of a 17-community list for such present charges. The average among those communities is about $12,200 for water fees and $7,100 for sewer fees.
The council could approve the increase March 2 during a regular meeting after press time.