By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

On any other city project, approval of the final payment and change order by the Savage City Council would be a routine matter of business.

Not so for the River Bend Lift Station. The project has undergone significant design changes in the past year, but still came in below the original bid of $384,284.

Public Works Director John Powell said the project was simple – rehabilitate the lift station with new sewage pumps, electrical controls and a back-up generator for power outages. But the lift station is located in a center island of the cul-de-sac at Joppa and Kipling avenues, so the city took into consideration the visual impact to the neighborhood.

In an effort to minimize those impacts, a building was planned to house the controls and generator. But when the building started going up, neighbors complained about the size. A major design change was initiated – eliminating the building.

Powell said except for some concerns about the color of paint on the equipment, neighbors are satisfied with the outcome.

“When this first happened, we were all concerned about what these changes might bring,” said City Administrator Barry Stock during the Oct. 6 meeting of the Savage City Council. “With the major design change, this is quite an accomplishment.”

The final cost for the project is $307,366, which included change orders. Money to fund the project came out of the water and sewer fund.

 Nancy Huddleston can be reached at editor@savagepacer.com.