The City of Norwich Common Council convened an emergency meeting Tuesday night to discuss the water main project and an extension request from the city's hired contractor, Vacri Construction.(Photo by Tyler Murphy)

NORWICH – Work on the City of Norwich water mains is behind schedule and running into a timeline set by the NY State Department of Transportation (DOT), whose work crews are also paving the downtown streets.

The City of Norwich Common Council convened an emergency meeting Tuesday night to discuss the water main project and extension request from the city's hired contractor, Vacri Construction.

Norwich Mayor Brian Doliver told city leaders at the common council they are faced with a small and possibly expensive window to catch up or limit the scope of the project. The reduction would leave about 1,200 feet of 140-year-old pipe that feeds 30 different residential lines.

“There was a reason there was only one bid, no one wanted this job. The timing was so short. Even if we had started earlier, nobody wanted this job, obviously seeing the construction they bid at $400,000 higher than we were allotting for construction. So nobody wanted this job, so they took it, so we can say all we about this but we're in a situation,” Doliver told the board.

Just before the meeting state officials cautioned the city any delays that inhibited the state's ability to complete the work as scheduled could result in paving work not being finished until next spring. State officials said the city and not the state would be responsible for those additional costs.

The city clerk read part of an email from the DOT saying is basically read, “If this does not seem like a realistic time frame being met then the NY State DOT may elect at any time to delay our paving until next spring.”

Doliver said the DOT was 100 percent committed to doing all the paving this year and wanted the city workers out of the street by October 6.

Not completing the lines by Oct. 6 would then leave Broad Street unpaved.

“What we are here for is because we need to give the DOT guidance on where they want to go with this. We have to give an extension, the DOT has to give the extension so they have to know what we want to do with this,” said Doliver.

“Is there any way the DOT would come back and finish,”asked Alderwoman Nancy Allaire. “Are there no other Route 12 projects they could tie that into?”

Doliver said, “I tried to get that done, but they explained to me they would have to bring everybody back next year and the costs will be higher and the DOT won't pay for it.”

“So if Vacri isn't out of the street by 10/6, the paving is off until 2024,” reiterated Alderman Robert D. Jeffrey. Doliver said it would mainly effect Broad Street.

Jeffrey also added that this year, “East Main Street regardless, of any decision we make here tonight, that's going to get done.” That work is scheduled to begin on Sept. 29 and be done by Oct 13.

Doliver said there are two main options for the city to consider going forward.

One: “Vacri would button everything up. They would end their project on Beebe and then the DOT would come in and pave after. Our water main project would stop at Beebe, not Prentice. OK? So that would leave a section not done,” he said. The city contractor would be done by Sept. 4.

Two: Vacri works up until the deadline and hopes it can complete the work by the deadline or risk delaying the DOT.

Doliver said adding Vacri overtime pay could speed up the project. “So this is kind of a hard pill to swallow. But they will continue to do the work regardless, but if they could come up with some overtime money, it would help them to get it done faster, working Saturdays,” he said.

Alderman David Zieno objected to paying the contractor more for being behind.

“My frustration there is they've had approximately 11 Fridays they could have worked, and they were over by $400,000, I go down Broad Street and not anyone is in sight. They had come to us and requested Friday work. What happened with that whole plan?”

Allaire said the contractor should pay the additional overtime costs. She also expressed concern the projects would impact the school year if delayed.

Jeffrey also recalled the Friday work request and an email from Vacri sent this week

In it he said they listed out nine different days where there were delays in August.

“We are all very frustrated about what I am willing to call a lack of urgency,” he said. “We need to hold them accountable for something.”

“They obviously haven't performed,” said Zieno. “People have had enough.”

Doliver said Vacri would leave the project by Aug. 31, as is, without direction from the city and approval from the DOT.

He also said there were sensitive discussions between the contractor and city that had involved the possibility of ending up in court. The city attorney said resolving the issue in court was complicated.

The board said they would reach to out to the DOT and arrange to have a Vacri representative at a public meeting next week to answer questions.

The board decided to ask the DOT to issue an extension while members reached our to Vacri for clarification and to work out a solid timeline on work going forward.