THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008
Time For A Paint-Job
By TOM ROBB
Journal Reporter
The paint on Des Plaines' massive one million gallon Howard Street water tank is old and peeling. The tank received its last paint job in 1990.
So, Director of Public Works Matthew Dusckett is recommending that the city approve a no-bid contract with Utility Services Co. (USC) of Perry, Ga., to not only paint the mammoth structure but also perform regular maintenance and cleaning for the next three years.The painting, that may start as early as late May or June, could be completed in three to four weeks depending on weather.
The tower, located at Howard and Chestnut streets, off Mannheim Road, would be sandblasted down to its metal base inside and out and completely repainted. A massive tarp would cover either the entire tower or sections being worked on while paint is being removed. A solar powered water-mixing unit would also be installed in the tower as part of the deal.
The proposal will be considered at Monday's City Council meeting. The city budgeted $600,000 in this year's budget to paint the structure. The USC contract would cost $653,256 divided into three annual payments of $217,752. The city would have the option of renewing the maintenance contract for the tower that would include cleaning, water maintenance and future over-coating, once every 10 years and a complete repainting once every 20 years.
A schedule of fees included in the memo shows costs for the long-term contract. Fees would drop to $30,903 for years four, five and six and then increase once every three years by a few thousand dollars. In 2025 and 2026 the cost would have risen to $49,770 per year.
Dusckett said USC would be responsible for any EPA mandated upgrades, would allow city planners to budget maintenance costs more accurately and would create a longer extended warrantee for the work. USC is the only contractor Dusckett is aware of that provides this kind of service agreement for water towers.
The city has five water towers, one of which was repainted two years ago. Dusckett said the other four towers can withstand the increased water storage demand while the Howard Street tower is taken off line.