Oxford pays bill to contractor for delays on project
Apr 07, 2010 | 2635 views | 8 
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During its regular meeting Tuesday, the Oxford City Council approved a $276,167.17 change order for the Taylor Corporation to cover delay costs for the city’s multi-million dollar sports complex project at Davis Farm.
Since the project was shut down in late February, Taylor Corp. has billed the city approximately $12,000 a day, except for days of rain. Taylor’s contract states the city must cover equipment and manpower costs for every day the project is shut down for reasons beyond the construction company’s control.
Toward the end of the meeting, Mayor Leon Smith announced he had reached an agreement with Taylor Corp. to lower the delay fee for April to one payment of $16,000, followed by $15,000 a month for the next three months.
“I got them to cut that to a flat rate,” Smith said.
The future three-month time frame of delays was established during a special called city council meeting Monday.
In the special meeting, representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which shut down the project, told the council it would take at least three months to ensure all federal requirements are met before the project could be allowed to resume.
The Corps of Engineers shut down the project because it was not notified that ancient human remains were discovered at the construction site on Feb. 8. A wetlands permit the city obtained to develop the Davis Farm site stipulates the corps must be notified if any remains and or artifacts are discovered.
As part of the special meeting, the council discussed possibly abandoning the project due to the mounting costs. The council decided to table a decision until the cost to void the construction contract could be compared with the cost of waiting until work could resume.
“We have no estimate yet on what it will cost to get out of the contract,” council president Chris Spurlin said Tuesday.
After hearing Smith’s new deal, Spurlin and his fellow council members declined to comment on whether they wanted to continue with the project.
“I’m not prepared to say anything until I get all the numbers,” councilman Mitch Key said.
To date, the city has spent more than $5.9 million on the project, most of it for the purchase of the property. And as a result of the unforeseen costs, the city’s approximately $18 million bond issue for the project can no longer cover all construction expenses.
Though the city will have to write Taylor Corp. a large check, it will also receive a refund from the contractor.
Immediately after approving the first change order, the council approved a second one, which reduced Taylor’s more than $3 million contract by $9,190.18, to cover archaeological costs at the sports complex site. Spurlin said the contractor was supposed to pay an archaeologist to oversee construction at the site, however, the city paid it instead and now required a refund.
In other business the council:
• increased budgeted improvement costs for the city golf course from $670,000 to about $1 million.
• passed a resolution to pay engineering firm Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood up to $89,700 for complete engineering and inspection work for the resurfacing of Friendship Road from Highway 21 to Boiling Springs Road.
Contact staff writer Patrick McCreless at 256-235-3561.
In response to your question. Yes the Taylor Corp is big buddies with Mayor Smith. If people only knew how big. For starters...
No bid contract to build the Sam's Club.
The city paying Taylor Corp for use of their land as a dump instead of using the city dump.
To be fair, the Taylor Corp isn't the only business or person that Mayor Smith favors. Like I said, if people only knew.
I figure one of my great grandparents had to be full Indian. But since I didn't know them and do not know if they are buried there, it is not an issue with me. In fact, it is more likely that some of my closer relatives were moved from the Neely Henry dam site. I see the relationship argument as beside the point. If you want to argue historical value then that might be a valid argument.
I ask, would you be so irreverent if it were your great great grandparents burial ground? Those bones are human with descendants still walking the planet.
We're allowing ourselves to be made into laughingstocks, and I guarantee you, if this were a business EVERYONE involved would be fired.