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Engineer: Silver Lake Boulevard value engineering trims $705,000 from project; funding timing at risk
Summary
OHM Engineer Jason Popiel reported Oct. 20 that value-engineering reduced Silver Lake Boulevard project costs by about $705,000 (from $4.6M to ~$3.9M) through targeted lining and narrower pavement restoration; OPWC funding is pending and an EPA furlough may force the village to advance approximately $250,000 to pay a contractor.
Jason Popiel of OHM Engineering told the Village Council that design refinements to the Silver Lake Boulevard reconstruction have yielded roughly $705,000 in savings, shrinking the project estimate from $4.6 million to about $3.9 million and leaving open a possible further reduction toward $3.5 million as storm sewer and bio-cell designs are finalized.
Popiel said all water mains in the corridor will be replaced, while engineers will maximize lining of storm and sanitary pipes where appropriate to minimize pavement disturbance. He said a blind sewer connection discovered on camera required adding a new manhole for maintenance access and that sidewalks will only be replaced where lateral work necessitates it. "As a result of the engineering revisions completed thus far, the project has already achieved an estimated $705,000 in savings," Popiel told Council.
Clerk-Treasurer Sean Housley warned Council the village is facing a timing risk from a federal furlough: "The Village currently has an outstanding invoice of approximately $250,000 pending 80% federal reimbursement," he said, and the furlough of an EPA representative has temporarily halted approval of CDS grant reimbursements. Housley said the village may need to advance the full invoice amount from the General Fund to meet the contractor's payment terms and avoid jeopardizing future federal grant eligibility.
Popiel said the office working on OPWC notification has not yet reported a change to the OPWC timeline; OPWC funding notification is still expected in November or December and the CDS cycle opens in March. Council asked staff to monitor federal reimbursement status and to prepare legislation authorizing an advance if needed.
The updated project approach reduces full-width roadway reconstruction in many sections, instead favoring restored trenches and targeted apron replacement tied to lateral work. Council members raised safety concerns about existing deep bio-cells elsewhere and asked that new bio-cells be shallower and located in the tree-lawn area; Popiel agreed to review earlier installations and address depth and safety in final designs.
OPWC and CDS funding decisions will determine the final financing approach; the administration said it will return to Council with any needed appropriation or advance legislation.
