OTTAWA — A project to update some downtown electric distribution circuits has run into some trouble. Jack Werthman, consultant engineer from SEGA, the city’s electrical engineering consultant, said the proposed improvement project will cost a lot more than he originally thought. His engineering estimate was $340,000. However, he said the two bidders submitted bids that were much higher – the low bid was $604,000 and the second was $703,000. “You can see that the engineer’s estimate was way off,” Werthman conceded. In the past, the bids for other electrical improvements came in under Werthman’s estimates. “Clearly this one, we were off,” he said. Adding some fiber optic cable at the last moment helped drive up the cost, he said. However, by making some changes and stretching out the deadline for completing the project, the city might get the cost down to about half a million dollars, he said. The city commission is expected to consider the project at its next regular meeting.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m.
