$7 million in repairs to Columbia Canal, water plant come due

Contractors repairing Columbia’s water treatment plant and the damaged canal that feeds it will learn shortly whether City Council will authorize nearly $7 million in payments for the work.

Here’s a breakdown of the payments council is being asked to authorize at a rare Wednesday meeting:

▪ The largest sum, $4.8 million, would go to McClam & Associates Inc., for repairs on the treatment plant.

▪  M.B. Kahn Construction Co. is seeking $908,000 for its role in plant repairs.

▪ D&J Machinery & Rigging wants almost $599,000 for work on the plant.

▪ Chao and Associates and Kleinschmidt Associates are seeking about $455,000 combined for engineering work done on a temporary boulder dam across the canal and repairs to its 60-foot breach.

Council’s agenda also includes making final decisions about changes in city laws so that building permit fees needed in flood repairs would be suspended for six months. Contractors also would not have to pay business license fees for three months, according to plans for which council gave initial approval.

Council is to take up again a more complex proposal that would remove a requirement that property improvements made during the past five years be calculated in determining how much of rebuilt structures would have to meet newer, tougher building codes.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 3:35 PM.