CAPE BOARD ACCEPTS BID FOR DIRT WORK

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education accepted the low bid for a rough grading and storm sewer project to develop land at the site of the district's new high school.

Dumey Contracting of Benton, Mo., won the contract with a base bid of $990,521.55. The bid was more than 21 percent less than the district's estimate of $1.261 million.

In all, 10 companies from the Midwest submitted bids on the project. Architect Dennis Young of William B. Ittner Inc. said half of the bids received were at or below budget.

"We thought if we could get better competition it would be reduced," Young said. "In essence, we got a good bid."

School board members were somewhat wary of accepting the low bid, which was nearly $11,000 less than the second-lowest bid, citing possible manpower issues, contract problems or labor disputes that could render the contractor unable to handle the project. Board member Mark Carver referenced dissatisfaction with Parsons Construction Company, which was nearly six months late in completing construction of Blanchard Elementary School last year, as the basis for his concerns.

"I'm personally just a little squeamish," Carver said. "I don't want us to get into that situation again."

Young said he had received good references from companies that had awarded projects of similar size to Dumey, including the Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, the Better Business Bureau had no complaints registered against the company.

"Their reputation seems to be solid," he said.

Civil engineer Jim Thomann said he has met with the contractor and emphasized the need for completion of the project within the specified 60-day timeframe. In particular, work at the site where the building will be constructed must be completed so the dirt can settle before construction begins next spring.

"The critical path is getting that building pad in place. Concentration has to be on that because it needs to sit about four months before we start any construction," said Thomann.

In a related measure, the school board agreed to contribute $6,000 to the cost of a survey of an intersection that will be used by students traveling on Kingshighway between Hwy. 74 and Interstate 55. The city and a local landowner also will contribute to the survey cost.

The survey will be used to help determine whether the Missouri Department of Transportation should prioritize placement of a stoplight at the intersection, which will extend Silver Springs Road from the joint high school-Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center campus to Hwy. 74.

Superintendent Dr. Dan Steska said city and MODOT officials have agreed there will be a safety concern if no stoplight is because traffic will have to cross two lanes of traffic to travel north on Kingshighway. Even if the survey finds the project should receive a high priority, it's doubtful the stoplight will be in place when the high school opens in fall 2002.

The career center is scheduled to open next fall.

"Ultimately if it happens it's a good thing for the community and for the school district," Steska said. "A stoplight would solve a lot of problems in moving our students safely through that intersection."