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January 29, 2004County OKs $7.8M treatment plantTwo bids were lower than the one acceptedByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Grand Traverse County officials have approved financing for a new $7.8 million septage treatment plant, amid questions about whether the facility will work as designed. County commissioners approved another $1.3 million in public bonding for the project, after the Board of Public Works this week awarded a design-build contract to Gourdie-Fraser engineering of Traverse City and Christman Co. construction firm of Lansing. County officials bypassed lower bids, prompting criticism by some. Jim Schiffer, local manager for the Fleis & Vandenbrink engineering firm, which submitted a $6.1 million bid, told the county board the plant as proposed "was not going to be reliable and will generate excessive odors" during operation. "We think we have an improved system that would represent a large savings," Schiffer said. County public works officials responded there were lower-cost proposals offered, but they were not as ecologically sound as the county's plan. "They were substantially different from what we were talking about," said Chris Buday, the county's public works director. He says the plant as designed will create a byproduct at the end of the treatment process known as a "Class A biosolid" that can safely be applied to land, reducing the amount of material sent on for more treatment at the regional sewer plant. "If the county would be willing to cut corners we could save money, but that's not the way we went at this," Buday said. Engineering firm Wade-Trim also offered an alternate proposal. An exact cost wasn't identified but Wade-Trim officials said it could develop the plant for approximately $1 million less than the county-approved proposal. "We think there's a better process out there - a better mousetrap, if you will," said Lee Grant, an engineer with Wade-Trim. He said their proposal would have a lower initial development cost and less operating expense in the long run. But Grant, member of the county planning commission, wouldn't agree that the county is pursuing a faulty system. "To say that it won't work is not correct," Grant said. The county has been exploring a septage treatment facility for almost 10 years because of state restrictions on spreading septic tank waste on farm land. There's an estimated 20,000 septic tanks in use in Grand Traverse, plus hundreds of septic holding tanks. The plant will be built on a five-acre site in the Hammond Industrial Centre in Garfield Township. Construction should begin in April.
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