Columbus City Council unanimously approved Neel-Schaffer engineering firm to take the lead on a citywide paving project that is behind schedule.
The city’s project management firm J5 Global had been handling oversight of the paving project, but the company ended its partnership with the city June 30 — the last day of the prior city administration.
During Tuesday’s city council meeting, Neel-Schaffer Vice President Kevin Stafford said the city’s new contract with the company will facilitate the completion of the nearly $5.5-million project that is estimated to be 25 percent complete. He said at this point, the project should be at least 50 percent complete.
“What this will do is put inspectors in the field to oversee the day-to-day work,” he said.
Stafford said the paving is a citywide project. The concrete work is sidewalk, corner ramps, as well as curb and gutter replacements along streets that are getting paved. American Disabilities Act aspects of the project are where the sidewalk and corner ramps are improved.
Stafford blamed the weather for the paving project being behind schedule.
“We had one of the wettest Junes on record, if not the wettest June on record,” he said. “We had one of the coldest winters in a while so they could not get started in January and February, and June was slow production as well.”
Stafford said that’s why three paving crews and one concrete crew have been brought in recently so as to speed up the project — four crews that Neel-Schaffer would oversee.
“This is one of the best times of the year to be out paving,” Stafford said. “With that, I hope they continue to perform and do well for the city. But with that, they are probably 25 percent along right now, which is well behind the schedule at this point.”
After the city council meeting, Stafford told The Dispatch the work could be completed by fall, weather permitting.
Neel-Schaffer will be paid an hourly fee not-to-exceed 2.5 percent of the $3.6 million of work remaining. City would be billed up to a maximum of $90,000 though the time billed could be less than that if the project is completed sooner, Stafford said. J5 was charging a flat fee of 4 percent for project management, said Ethel Ward, councilwoman for Ward 1.
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