BEND, OR -- Expanding Bend’s sewer system to account for growth has been a big undertaking, but officials had expected the project would be completed by now. Instead, City Councilors are forced to acknowledge it won’t be finished for another year.
City Manager Eric King tells KBND News delays were the result of disputes with contractor, Apollo Inc. "A lot of it was just, when you have a project that’s that complex, and you have design documents that show where things should go. And then, the contractor on the ground sees a dispute of ‘maybe we should do it this way,’ and there was a lot of back and forth. The city has a position on that back and forth, and I’m sure the contractor does, as well. At the end of the day, we’re responsible for spending taxpayer dollars, and ratepayer dollars, in this case. And, we’re going to hold very firm as to what the expectations are."
He says no lawsuit has been filed by either side, yet. But, Councilors are trying to be proactive. "Because there has been so many delays, and there’s costs associated with those delays, the city is trying to recover those costs. And, that could potentially lead to litigation." City Councilors, this week, approved a $500,000 contract for legal services, in the event there is litigation over the project.
To hear our full conversation with City Manager Eric King, visit our Podcast Page.
