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Grand Traverse County

November 26, 2007

Price for Boardman River dams study grows

Panel to ask utility, city for $100K each

By Brian McGillivary

TRAVERSE CITY -- A Boardman River dams study is more expensive than officials anticipated, and Grand Traverse County commissioners recently tossed another $100,000 into a pot that's ballooned to nearly $1.6 million.

The study could run out of money before an engineering component is completed, an aspect of the project that's considered critical to local officials' decision to retain or remove the Boardman and Sabin dams, county Administrator Dennis Aloia said.

The Boardman River Dams Committee, a group overseeing the study, next will approach the city of Traverse City and Traverse City Light & Power for $100,000 each.

The city, Light & Power, and the county each contributed $50,000 when the study began in 2006.

The study initially was estimated to cost up to $1.4 million, with the actual engineering and feasibility study pegged at $850,000.

Burgeoning costs largely stem from the study committee's "project management" and "communication and outreach activities," and not engineering and environmental aspects, according to information provided to the county board.

"It's the largest public involvement process in the nation," said study technical coordinator Mike Donahue, a member of the project team that manages the study.

Project coordinator Jennifer Jay told the county the dams committee has raised $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions for the study, but must generate another $575,000 in order to complete its work by December 2008.

Jay said the committee has $360,000 in pending grant requests with additional funding being "aggressively" pursued.

The committee needs to raise $435,000 to complete engineering and other scientific work, and $140,000 to continue the public communication process.

Documentation provided to the county indicates the study committee spent less than half of the $1 million it has so far raised on engineering and is on track to spend about $700,000 on public communication and project management activities.

But Jay said some aspects of the engineering studies required more work and more money than initially projected. Neither Jay nor Donahue could say how much they expect will be spent on engineering and feasibility, compared to the public process and project management.

Jay is on the agenda to meet with the city commission tonight at the Governmental Center.

The county board will vote to finalize its contribution at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Acme Township Hall.

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