YOUNGSTOWN — The apparent low bid for a project to divert millions of gallons of sewage from the Mahoning River is significantly lower than the estimate for the work.

Rudzik Excavating Inc. of Struthers submitted the apparent low bid by Friday’s deadline of $4,529,354 — a little more than half of the $8,363,638 estimate.

Charles Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works, said his department will review the bids and interview Rudzik to see if the company made an error. But he pointed out that Rudzik is a reputable contractor and there have been other instances in which the low bid was significantly less than the estimate.

If Rudzik’s bid is accurate, Shasho said, “It’s good news for the city. We’ll see. Maybe things are going our way.”

Jim Tressa, senior estimator / project manager for Rudzik, said: “We feel confident in the bid that was submitted.”

The company will meet with city officials “to make sure we’re on the same page,” Tressa said.

The city will review the proposals and award a contract within 30 days, Shasho said.

Three other bids were submitted Friday for the project: $7,207,069 from J.S. Bova Excavating Inc. of Struthers, $7,309,785 from Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Co. of Youngstown, and $8,865,195 from S.E.T. Inc. of Lowellville.

Shasho pointed out it was just three weeks ago that Bova submitted a low bid — which was awarded Thursday by the board of control — for a major water main and lead line replacement project that was less than half the engineer’s estimate.

Bova’s winning bid was $8,247,116 with the estimate at $16,782,881.

The bids opened Friday are for the second phase of an interceptor sewer project. When both phases are finished, it will eliminate three sewer overflows that discharge about 35.5 million gallons of combined sewage annually into the Mahoning River, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

S.E.T. is doing the first phase of the project for about $4 million and is about 30% done with it, Shasho said. That runs from West Avenue to Bridge Street, a paper street near Front Street. It eliminates one sewer overflow.

That phase started earlier this year and should be finished by the summer, Shasho said.

The second phase should start in late June or in July and be done by January 2026, Shasho said.

That work goes from Bridge Street to Division Street and eliminates two sewer overflows, he said.

The project replaces an aging, deteriorated combined storm and sanitary sewer lines with 10,800 linear feet of 60-inch and 48-inch lines with an access road, Shasho said.

The city received a $4.8 million grant in July 2023 from the state, using federal American Rescue Plan funds, as well as a $4 million loan from the state that forgives the repayment of the principal to pay for much of this project.

“The second phase is a little more complicated,” Shasho said. “The construction itself is a little more treacherous. It’s not as smooth. We’re going through some industrial property, and you don’t know what you’re going to hit. There’s always surprises.”

FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE

While this work isn’t directly tied to the city’s federal consent decree agreement for its wastewater system, Shasho said it’s included on the revised schedule to eliminate sewage from entering water systems in Youngstown.

“Any time you eliminate an overflow, the (U.S. EPA) is going to want to know about it, and it’s in our revised schedule,” he said. “Any time you’re eliminating CSOs (combined sewer overflows), it’s a water quality issue, a water quality benefit.”

The city and the state of Ohio recently approved modifications to settle a legal dispute over the consent decree with the federal government.

In an April 22 status report filing with Judge Christopher A. Boyko of the U.S. District Court’s Northern District of Ohio, attorneys for the parties wrote that the proposed changes are “currently going through” the federal EPA and the Department of Justice for final review.

“The parties believe that an additional extension of the stay until June 27 would provide sufficient time for the parties to finalize the approvals of the proposed consent decree amendment, to continue negotiations over the stipulated penalties motion as well as promote the interests of judicial economy.”

Boyko agreed April 23 to the motion for an “extension of stay,” which permits the parties to finalize the agreement, until June 27. The judge also ordered the parties to submit a joint status report no later than June 20.

This is the third extension requested and approved in the case with the sides agreeing that a resolution is imminent.

The court filing doesn’t give any indication what the changes are, but at the center of the dispute is a requirement in a 2014 consent decree signed by the city to build a 100-million-gallon-per-day wet weather facility. That structure would be located near the city’s wastewater treatment plant and treat excess combined sewage during heavy rainstorms and then release the water.

In a March 15, 2024, motion by the city to reopen the consent decree, it insisted the facility mandated by the federal government is too large and expensive.

The project’s initial estimate was $62 million, but it is now more than $240 million, according to a Nov. 12 amended motion to modify the consent decree filing from attorney Terrence S. Finn of the Roetzel & Andress law firm in Akron, which represents the city.

The city asked Boyko in that motion to permit the consent decree to be amended for the construction of a wet weather facility that could treat 80 million gallons of wastewater per day. The city hasn’t disclosed the cost of a smaller facility.

The federal government had previously rejected a reduction in the scope of the work.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

Staff writer

YOUNGSTOWN — The apparent low bid for a project to divert millions of gallons of sewage from the Mahoning River is significantly lower than the estimate for the work.

Rudzik Excavating Inc. of Struthers submitted the apparent low bid by Friday’s deadline of $4,529,354 — a little more than half of the $8,363,638 estimate.

Charles Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works, said his department will review the bids and interview Rudzik to see if the company made an error. But he pointed out that Rudzik is a reputable contractor and there have been other instances in which the low bid was significantly less than the estimate.

If Rudzik’s bid is accurate, Shasho said, “It’s good news for the city. We’ll see. Maybe things are going our way.”

Jim Tressa, senior estimator / project manager for Rudzik, said: “We feel confident in the bid that was submitted.”

The company will meet with city officials “to make sure we’re on the same page,” Tressa said.

The city will review the proposals and award a contract within 30 days, Shasho said.

Three other bids were submitted Friday for the project: $7,207,069 from J.S. Bova Excavating Inc. of Struthers, $7,309,785 from Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Co. of Youngstown, and $8,865,195 from S.E.T. Inc. of Lowellville.

Shasho pointed out it was just three weeks ago that Bova submitted a low bid — which was awarded Thursday by the board of control — for a major water main and lead line replacement project that was less than half the engineer’s estimate.

Bova’s winning bid was $8,247,116 with the estimate at $16,782,881.

The bids opened Friday are for the second phase of an interceptor sewer project. When both phases are finished, it will eliminate three sewer overflows that discharge about 35.5 million gallons of combined sewage annually into the Mahoning River, according to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

S.E.T. is doing the first phase of the project for about $4 million and is about 30% done with it, Shasho said. That runs from West Avenue to Bridge Street, a paper street near Front Street. It eliminates one sewer overflow.

That phase started earlier this year and should be finished by the summer, Shasho said.

The second phase should start in late June or in July and be done by January 2026, Shasho said.

That work goes from Bridge Street to Division Street and eliminates two sewer overflows, he said.

The project replaces an aging, deteriorated combined storm and sanitary sewer lines with 10,800 linear feet of 60-inch and 48-inch lines with an access road, Shasho said.

The city received a $4.8 million grant in July 2023 from the state, using federal American Rescue Plan funds, as well as a $4 million loan from the state that forgives the repayment of the principal to pay for much of this project.

“The second phase is a little more complicated,” Shasho said. “The construction itself is a little more treacherous. It’s not as smooth. We’re going through some industrial property, and you don’t know what you’re going to hit. There’s always surprises.”

FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE

While this work isn’t directly tied to the city’s federal consent decree agreement for its wastewater system, Shasho said it’s included on the revised schedule to eliminate sewage from entering water systems in Youngstown.

“Any time you eliminate an overflow, the (U.S. EPA) is going to want to know about it, and it’s in our revised schedule,” he said. “Any time you’re eliminating CSOs (combined sewer overflows), it’s a water quality issue, a water quality benefit.”

The city and the state of Ohio recently approved modifications to settle a legal dispute over the consent decree with the federal government.

In an April 22 status report filing with Judge Christopher A. Boyko of the U.S. District Court’s Northern District of Ohio, attorneys for the parties wrote that the proposed changes are “currently going through” the federal EPA and the Department of Justice for final review.

“The parties believe that an additional extension of the stay until June 27 would provide sufficient time for the parties to finalize the approvals of the proposed consent decree amendment, to continue negotiations over the stipulated penalties motion as well as promote the interests of judicial economy.”

Boyko agreed April 23 to the motion for an “extension of stay,” which permits the parties to finalize the agreement, until June 27. The judge also ordered the parties to submit a joint status report no later than June 20.

This is the third extension requested and approved in the case with the sides agreeing that a resolution is imminent.

The court filing doesn’t give any indication what the changes are, but at the center of the dispute is a requirement in a 2014 consent decree signed by the city to build a 100-million-gallon-per-day wet weather facility. That structure would be located near the city’s wastewater treatment plant and treat excess combined sewage during heavy rainstorms and then release the water.

In a March 15, 2024, motion by the city to reopen the consent decree, it insisted the facility mandated by the federal government is too large and expensive.

The project’s initial estimate was $62 million, but it is now more than $240 million, according to a Nov. 12 amended motion to modify the consent decree filing from attorney Terrence S. Finn of the Roetzel & Andress law firm in Akron, which represents the city.

The city asked Boyko in that motion to permit the consent decree to be amended for the construction of a wet weather facility that could treat 80 million gallons of wastewater per day. The city hasn’t disclosed the cost of a smaller facility.

The federal government had previously rejected a reduction in the scope of the work.