Milton council approves Shipbuilders bids

Milton Town Council unanimously approved awarding three contracts to build a new water treatment facility at Shipbuilder’s Village.

The general construction contract was awarded to Johnston Construction of Finksburg, Md., the architectural contract went to Delmarva Veteran Builders of Salisbury and the electrical contract was awarded to Billbrough Electric of Denton. 

Town Manager Kristy Rogers said the town had originally offered the contract for construction as one package. But bids came in higher than the town wanted to pay, so the contract was separated into three separate plans, which Rogers said drove the price down. Still, the overall project came in higher than the town anticipated, $475,000 in total. The town had more than $200,000 in state loan funds for the project, so it will need to spend $206,000 to complete work. Rogers said the money will come from savings from the town’s water fund and previously unspent grant money. 

The project includes a new water treatment building, driveway improvements and a well pump connection. The architectural contract includes building pipes and conducting site work. The building construction itself is the second contract, and electrical work is the third. 

The plant is the final project under an $895,000 state loan that was passed in a July 2018 referendum. The first two projects, a new water main at Wagamon’s West Shores and a new well at Shipbuilder’s Village, have already been completed. Town officials said the projects would improve water flow all over town and create two new wells that would be out of the Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain.

The town procured the money from the state Water Infrastructure Advisory Council at a 2 percent interest rate over a 20-year term. Residents will pay an additional $7.50 per quarter, or $30 per year, on their utility bills to finance the debt service on the loan. Residents voted 493-38 in favor of borrowing the money.