In a Boothbay Harbor Sewer District trustees' meeting June 2, Operator-in-Charge Chris Higgins expressed frustration with contractor Apex Construction due to continual delays. The company is working on phase 1 of the district's climate coastal resiliency project, which is on a strict deadline. 

 

Current issues include waiting for concrete to be poured, which is holding up work on the front part of the site, and slow progress on pipe fusing. Higgins estimates they are three to four weeks behind schedule.  

 

“(Apex has) a substantial (work) completion date in the contract, and it's $1,000-a-day liquidated damages after that date passes. I told them not to expect extensions,” he said.  

 

Also, Higgins reported Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) recently reached out to BHSD about the Route 27 sidewalk project to extend a pathway from Pinkham’s Gourmet Market to Boothbay Common. Some of the district’s manholes conflict with installing sidewalk curbing, and MaineDOT suggested underground components of the manholes be turned.  

 

Higgins said that would be hard and would involve pulling up sections of road. Also, in the current design, the manhole’s flange will be under the curb, and BHSD will have to tear up the sidewalk to adjust or maintain it. BHSD’s concerns about the design have been a recurring issue, with documentation going back over a decade, said Higgins.

 

The discussion is ongoing.  

 

In other business, Superintendent Sean Boyd said the district received a safety grant, allowing it to spend $2,200 to $2,500 to replace a gas-powered air blower with an electric one; the blower helps disperse carbon monoxide and other harmful gases that can occur during the sewer treatment process.