Cape fines contractor $1,100 a day for street-project delays; contractor blames utility relocations

The city of Cape Girardeau continues to fine a Poplar Bluff, Missouri, contractor $1,100 a day for failing to complete the Veterans Memorial Drive project on time.

City officials have expressed frustration over the slow pace of work by R.L. Persons Construction Co. on the project, which began more than a year ago.

But Randy Persons, who owns the construction firm, said Wednesday utility-relocation work delayed the start of the project.

City engineer Casey Brunke said private utility companies didn’t finish their relocation work until September.

But Brunke said the city gave the contractor a four-month extension that ended in March.

Craig Reynolds of R.L. Persons Construction Co. sprays curing compound on fresh concrete Wednesday on a section of the extended Veterans Memorial Drive in Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

Relocation work originally was set to begin in May 2016, but work didn’t start until June, city officials said.

Persons said his company did perform some construction over the summer, working around the utility relocation work as best it could.

The contract initially called for the construction to be substantially completed by Nov. 13, according to Brunke.

Deputy city manager Molly Hood said city staff extended the deadline until March. The contractor earlier this year asked for a second extension, which the city denied, Hood said.

“They wanted three or four more months,” Hood said.

Hood said the contractor “hardly did any work” on the street project during the past several months.

“They kept claiming it was too wet to pour (concrete),” Hood said.

The city began fining Persons Construction on March 13, Hood said.

City officials said the total damages charged to the contractor so far stand at more than $71,000.

Persons said his company will contest the fines.

“We don’t believe they are fair in any shape, form or fashion,” he said.

Persons said he bid the project with the assumption construction could occur during summer 2016.

He said he didn’t know the project would not be ready to build until last fall.

“We were forced to try to build it in the fall and winter,” Persons said.

Wet weather during that time delayed construction, he said.

Persons also said his company had to deal with drainage issues resulting from hilly terrain.

The Cape Girardeau City Council on Jan. 19, 2016, awarded the $1.68 million project to Persons Construction, the low bidder.

Persons Construction was one of five bidders on the project, according to city records.

Loretta Schneider, who was on the council at the time, voted against awarding the contract to Persons Construction because of her uncertainty over the company’s quality of work.

At that council meeting, she called it “unusual” the bid was well below the engineer’s estimate of $2.24 million.

Hood told the council the city had worked with the contractor previously.

The company has “a good track record on street projects,” Hood told the council.

But Wednesday, Hood said the city had experienced construction delays with the contractor on a $2.25 million downtown stormwater project three years ago.

But Hood said city staff believed the street project would be a less-complex project the contractor could complete on time.

The Hopper Road work as part of the Veterans Memorial Drive project was completed in late November.

But work on the remainder of Veterans Memorial Drive has not been finished.

The contractor poured 1,200 feet of concrete pavement last week, Hood said.

Construction crews were pouring pavement again Wednesday.

Persons estimated the work, including sidewalk installation, could be completed within 30 days.

“But it depends on the weather,” he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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