Carrie Moritz, Gazette

            The 4th Street construction project is one of the most important infrastructure projects Garretson needs to pursue, but that doesn't mean it's going to come cheap.

            At least, that's what the council discovered at their meeting this past Monday, when they met with representatives from SECOG (Southeast Council of Governments) and Sayre Associates.

            The overall project was initially projected to be broken down into three phases, but at the meeting, Cole Gebhart of Sayre presented a plan with two phases, neither of which included 5th Street or the side streets between 4th and 5th. The grand total for both phases is estimated to be just over $5.5 million, $1.5 million dollars higher than it was projected to be just one year ago.

            And construction costs are only going up, as Gebhart and his colleague, Thad Roberts, pointed out. They are slated to rise 8-10% per year over the next few years at least. This means kicking the can down the road will not help the city save on costs, nor will it allow the city to save much extra money prior to replacement, as the sewer and water infrastructure in the area is long past its useful life, with substantial corrosion and an increasing number of breaks.

            "Before he left, we met with Ryan [Nussbaum] and he thought this is probably the most important thing the city could do," Mayor Greg Beaner said during the meeting. Between the condition of the pipes and the lack of water pressure at hydrants, it was implied that not addressing this project could end badly.

            The city has received funding for the project in the form of two State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans, along with a $600,000 grant that was reported by the Gazette in the January 4th issue. One of the SRF loans contained a loan forgiveness of $1.26 million, which would bring the city's responsibility for costs down to $3.65 million before interest.

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