CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FIX JACKSON STREET PROJECT

JACKSON - Representatives of SIS of Creal Springs, Ill., signed a memorandum of agreement with Jackson city officials late Wednesday afternoon for completion of the troublesome West Main Street improvement project.

City Administrator Carl Talley said the agreement was signed in his office at about 5:25 p.m., 25 minutes after the deadline set Wednesday by the city.

The agreement will apparently allow work on the street to resume today. But Talley was non-committal when asked if he thought SIS would actually complete the project. His only comment was, "The proof is in the pudding."

The written agreement signed Wednesday was the result of a verbal agreement hammered out between the city and SIS during a stormy meeting earlier this week. After the meeting, SIS verbally agreed to points contained in the written agreement. But Acting City Engineer Rich Bowen said the following day, SIS refused to sign a copy of the written agreement, and instead returned the agreement with their own demands added. The city rejected the contractor's demands outright.

After a meeting Wednesday between Mayor Carlton Meyer, City Attorney David Beeson, Talley and the city engineer, Bowen said SIS was notified by telephone that it had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to sign the written agreement. "They were, in effect, told to sign the agreement by 5 p.m., or the city would take action necessary to get the job done," said Bowen.

City Alderman Paul Sander said if the agreement had not been signed Wednesday, the board of aldermen had already made plans to meet in emergency executive session this morning to discuss the stalemated project and take immediate action to get the work done.

Under the agreement, the contractor will tear out 1,300 feet of the north half of the defective eastbound lane of Main Street. The contractor also agreed the entire pavement does not meet construction specifications.

The agreement stipulates the city engineer may also order an entire, 300-foot section of the defective pavement removed in the vicinity of Lenco, Inc., if it's found to be less than the thickness specified.

SIS agreed to pave the westbound lane of West Main in accordance with new grade specifications drawn up by the city engineer, and to remove two defective low spots in the pavement at the intersection of Main and High Streets so storm water will drain properly.

The city also agreed to release the balance of $67,000 to SIS that it has withheld since the pavement in the eastbound lane was found defective. Bowen said the check to SIS will be made out jointly to SIS, Delta Concrete of Cape Girardeau and Goggins Excavating Co., for materials and work they have provided to SIS.

Bowen said by signing the agreement, the city was not accepting any part of the paving project, or other defects that might be discovered after July 29. The city said it would accept the curbs and sidewalks already installed on the south side of the street.

In the agreement, SIS agrees to complete the project by the original date of Aug. 9. But Bowen said he doubts the contractor can meet that deadline unless more people are put on the job.

To get the project completed as soon as possible, without additional delay to businesses on West Main, Bowen said SIS will go ahead and pave the westbound lane first, including the High to Court Streets section. After allowing the pavement to dry and cure, it will be opened to traffic about five days later. At that time, the defective eastbound lane will be closed so the contractor can remove the 1,300 feet of the center section of the pavement and replace it.

"This way, Main street around the courthouse will be completed and open by Homecomers. Hopefully, if they put enough people on the job, and the weather holds, they just might be able to get the eastbound lane finished by the start of Homecomers, but I'm not very optimistic at this time," Bowen said.

Bowen said SIS was supposed to have poured concrete Wednesday morning. But by Wednesday afternoon, the only work done by SIS employees was some subgrade and iron work in the westbound lane from Court Street to Hubble Creek, and in the one-block of Main, between High and Court Street.

The West Main Street project began nearly 45 days ago when the south side of the street was closed to remove the old pavement. Since then, traffic has been limited to one-way, disrupting business along the street.