By Lee Weyhrich
PINSON — The Pinson City Council has decided to go with a third-party contractor to handle on-site testing of work and materials for the new city park.
The idea of hiring an independent contractor was brought up by Councilman Robbie Roberts at the Aug. 21 meeting.
Testing must be done to all materials, as well as for compaction of dirt at building sites to ensure safety and quality. Originally Goodwyn Mills & Cawood, the project architects, were going to handle testing, but Roberts believes the project could benefit from an independent oversight.
The council voted to outsource the testing to the lowest bidder, Birmingham Engineering & Construction Consultants. BECC’s estimate was $14,391.30, but since tests are billable by the hour and the number of trips necessary to test various phases, the actual cost will be dependent on other factors, such as weather and the speed at which various phases are completed by the general contractor.
Since a similar estimate was already factored into the park budget for testing, this addition should not affect the total cost of construction.
In other news, the Center Point Fire District will host the Breast Cancer Awareness kickoff at Pinson City Hall on Sept. 28 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.. There will be food, live music and a car show.