The bid award had been tabled in December when it was learned that Davis’ bid, the lowest of seven received, at $894,000, exceeded Delta Dental’s grant of $765,000. President Brad Hammond of the McGoodwin, Williams & Yates engineering firm said they would approach Delta Dental for an increase in the grant.

He reported Thursday that approval of an additional $268,822 had been granted.

“This amount includes a small contingency for change orders,” he said. It also includes engineering fees.

The bid designates $429,000 for construction of two buildings, one each at the east and west treatment plants; $275,000 for fluoride feed equipment; $120,000 for site improvements and connections; $10,000 for a trench and excavation safety system; and $60,000 for two fluoride analyzers, which will monitor the amount of residual fluoride in the water.

This last item will not be funded by Delta Dental, Hammond said, making the construction cost $834,000. The district will pick up the $60,000 tab as an additional safety measure. Hammond explained the analyzers give information, a “double confirmation of fluoride concentrations,” he said.

The facilities being built are for the powdered form of fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate.

He said the analyzers are not required by any agency, but they are safety protocols.

“We have gone above and beyond the minimum requirements,” he said. “Safety precautions for the workers was of prime importance.”

Construction is expected to be complete by October.

In other business, the board:

* Approved a motion to stay with the Stephens, Inc. financial group as bond underwriters for the parallel transmission line project, after hearing Request for Qualifications presentations from Stephens, Crews & Associates and Raymond James.

Board members and MWY said it was a tough decision, as all three were very qualified and all have access to the same financing sources.

The water district has worked with Stephens before, and they are more familiar with the district, which was the deciding factor for him, said Chairman James Yates. If a satisfactory contract with Stephens cannot be reached, the district will approach Crews…
The board scheduled its next meeting for April 17.