ALTAMONT — The Altamont City Council is considering a request by Schwab Eaton, an engineering firm, to reimburse it for work done on a grant-funded sidewalk project before it was OK’d for work.
The project entails connecting Labette County High School to the Altamont food retail establishment with a sidewalk. The Kansas Department of Transportation is funding most of the $1,528,469 project under its Transportation Alternatives program. The city has no match to pay for the grant, but it is responsible for utility relocation and right-of-way acquisition for it, according to Altamont City Administrator LeaAnn Myers.
Myers told council members last week that Schwab Eaton asked to be reimbursed by the city for $12,917 in work that the firm started before receiving the required notice to proceed. The company reduced that number to $9,820 after a conversation with the city staff.
When asked if the city had to pay the firm, city attorney Robert Myers said Schwab Eaton is supposed to be the experts guiding the city through the design and construction project. KDOT is distributing project funding and likely didn’t reimburse the firm for the work, he said.
“I guess the question is do you have to. The answer is no,” Myers said.
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Some council members asked if paying the company would reduce the overall cost of the project.
Myers said she would have to ask Schwab Eaton. She said the city will only have to pay toward the project if the costs exceed the grant amount. There are cost cutting measures, such as reducing the sidewalks to five feet wide instead of six, she said.
Council member Lyle Sykes wondered if not paying would damage the city’s relationship with the engineering firm. With a $1.5 million project, the firm may find a way to get its money back, he said.
“There will not be any money left over when this project is done. Guarantee,” Sykes said.
Council members want to meet with the engineering firm to discuss the issue and get an itemized list of work performed before reconsidering the reimbursement request.
Also on Thursday, the council added council members Tyler Julich and Zachary Sellers as authorized signers to the city’s checking account. The city is looking for a city clerk as the previous clerk resigned for a new position.
