The water mains of Guthrie are in need of assistance.
Because many of the pipes and mains are over 100-years-old, cold snaps, like Oklahoma tends to get, are busting the lines. With the expanding and contracting of the pipes as the weather freezes and thaws, more damage is done, treated water is wasted and more money is put into temporary repairs.
According to City Manager Leroy Alsup, an additional $585,558 of funding was approved for the Fiscal Year 2021 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Project. The project is focused on improving the Water Main along Division from the Water Plant to Harrison Avenue.
Improving this water main under Division will take some time to complete, but once it is finished the benefits will outweigh the time spent on these major repairs. Because it’s a major water main that will be repaired, there will likely be fewer breaks in the lines and the whole city will likely not have to shut down all of the city’s water in order to make repairs, as has been the case in the past.
CDBG Grant No. 18230 CDBG 17 had awarded the City of Guthrie $299,999 of CDBG Funds, to be matched with $585,650 of local funds provided by the City of Guthrie.
The City of Guthrie opened bids for the city’s CDBG Waterline Project on May 25. The city received three bids with the lowest bid coming in at $1,658,085.00. The awarded CDBG funds of $299,999.00 along with local matching funds of $585,650.00 resulted in the low bid being $905,465.00 over budget.
In order to make this project work, the City of Guthrie has requested an additional $595,588.00 of CDBG funds. The City would be able to increase local matching funds by $309,907.00 for a new adjusted total local match of $895,557.00. The project would then be funded 50% with CDBG Funding and 50% Local Funding.
The June 21 City Council Meeting Items that are a part of the CDBG Project are as follows:
• Approval of new CDBG Grant Agreement adding the additional $595,588.00 of CDBG funds
• Authorize additional local matching funds-$309,907.
• Award the contract to lowest bidder-Young Contracting
“We are very thankful to the Department of Commerce for their continued support of the growth of Guthrie,” stated Alsup.
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