During the building boom years ago, cities could afford to spend big on engineering services associated with annexations and other developments, often hiring large firms from out of the area to handle infrastructure projects.
Now that times are tough, the Bellevue City Council is taking the advice of a local engineer who has found ways to save the city about $1 million in costs associated with ensuring the city's water supply.
In winter, Bellevue gets most of its water from a spring in Muldoon Canyon, east of the city. During summer, the city relies on two municipal wells.
Four years ago, Mike Choat, of Ketchum-based Galena Engineering, started analyzing cost estimates for work that the Forsgren Associates engineering firm of Boise said was needed on the city's two wells. Forsgren told city leaders it would cost up to $1.2 million to enhance the productivity of the Chantrelle well and re-dig another, known as the Chestnut well.
Choat—who has worked on development projects in Bellevue before—supplied the city with plans that would meet its water requirements for less than $200,000.
Bellevue officials followed Choat's advice in avoiding a costly redevelopment of the Chantrelle well on the west side of town, in favor of adjusting equipment that already existed at the site.
"They basically had to only turn up the pump," said Choat, who said Monday the Chantrelle well will now produce 1,500 gallons per minute, rather than the 850 gallons per minute estimated by Forsgren.
"This makes a big difference when you are talking about the peak day water demands of the city, which are around 2,000 gallons per minute," Choat said.
Forsgren advised city officials last summer to abandon the back-up Chestnut well on the south end of town because of a rock that had been dropped in it in the 1970s, limiting its output to 350 gallons per minute. The firm proposed digging a 600-foot-deep test well nearby before re-digging the Chestnut and rebuilding the maintenance building above it.
Choat found local data logs that eliminated the need for a test well. He told the council last summer that his company could knock the rock out of the Chestnut well, replace the pump and develop the well sufficiently to produce 1,000 gallons per minute. Choat's plan for rehabilitating the Chestnut well includes cutting a hole in the maintenance building rather than demolishing it.
Work is expected to begin on the Chestnut well on Aug. 1. Choat said the city will receive about 500 gallons per minute less than the overall Forsgren plan would have provided, but that the city did not need that much water to begin with.
"There is local talent here that should be utilized," said Choat, who was hired in February as a consulting engineer for the city.
He will oversee work on the city's wells and a long-term project to upgrade water mains.
"If you hire the big guys from out of town, you don't necessarily get the best product," he said.
Galena Engineering had a staff of 25 civil engineers and land surveyors in 2005. Today, the firm employs only six people.
"Since we're not working for developers anymore, I think it's great that the cities are making an effort to hire us," Choat said. "Times are very slow for our industry."
Bellevue officials, strapped for cash during the recession, are thankful.
"Mike has done a great service to the city of Bellevue," City Administrator Tom Blanchard said.
In other Bellevue news:
· The council accepted the resignation of Mayor Jon Anderson. Council Chair Chris Koch was sworn in as mayor until the November election.
· Fire Chief Greg Beaver is working on an open-burn-permit policy after a permitted fire smoldered for two days last week, causing trouble for residents.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
