City council unhappy with added fees

By Rod Haxton, editor

An unexpected increase in engineering fees has the Scott City Council balking at plans for improvements to US83 Highway.

The council had already given tentative approval to plans that would call for repairs or replacement of concrete panels between Fourth Street and 12th Street. There has been some upheaval in the panels at the joints which the council wants to eliminate.

The engineer’s estimate for the project is $277,000, with the state picking up 75 percent of the cost, to a maximum of $200,000. The council had budgeted for $77,000 as its share of the project, but has now been presented with an additional $27,000 in engineering and inspection fees by EBH Engineering, Great Bend. That will boost the city’s overall cost to an estimated $104,000.Council members weren’t pleased about being presented an additional bill for engineering fees after they had already budgeted for the project.

“I hate to come up with the extra money, but the panels aren’t getting any better,” noted Councilman Gary Eitel.

The council instructed City Attorney John Shirley to visit with EBH about the additional fees and see if they can be negotiated. Until they hear back from their attorney, the council tabled further action on the project.