Council OK's change order for street lights

In a special meeting last Thursday, the Cathlamet Town Council approves a contract change order that will replace Main Street streetlights with decorative lights.

Approval of the $34,000 change order opens the door for a contractor to start installing the lights. Council members told consulting engineer Thomas Skillings they wanted the work done by the start of the Bald Eagle Festival in July.

Public Works Director Duncan Cruickshank said that grant funding agencies should compensate the town for the change order.

If the council had cancelled the project, the town would have been left with fixtures and poles it has already purchased with grant money, and it would have had to return the money.

The council has been considering taking legal action against its consulting engineering firm because of delays and mistakes.

Skillings said the work will involve cutting into segements of sidewalk at the light poles to connect them to underground wiring. The contractor will keep sidewalks at least partially open, and some large equipment will be parked along the street.

The contractor likely will do the work in segments, he said, such as removing old light poles, cutting into the sidewalk and making electrical connections, and installing new poles and lights.