RUMFORD — Work to finish replacing water and sewer lines and add sidewalks in the business district is expected to begin next week and take most of the summer, Town Manager Stacy Carter has told selectmen.

He said Clerk of Works Gary Violette was concerned about beginning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sargent was OK with starting,” Carter said. “As far as their company, they have measures that are in place to make sure their employees have protective gear, follow recommendations of social distancing, not working too close together.”

He said the contractor sent a letter saying there could be a delay if the pandemic worsens or Gov. Janet Mills takes an action affecting construction.

“I had recommended that we start as early as we can,” Carter said. “Where the businesses are already affected and shut down, if we can get this done as quickly as possible, then we won’t be affecting as much on the other end when they’re able to open their businesses and start back up.”

In a teleconference with selectmen Thursday, he said Sargent Corp. is going to start on Canal Street at Bridge Street, and work on replacing utilities for about four weeks, then work up to Exchange Street and further up to Hartford Street.

“They’re expecting that this is going to take most of the summer, into August,” Carter said.

Replacing the lines, adding some sidewalks and making other improvements on The Island business district began in July 2018 at an estimated $5 million. Since then, the town has hired CES Engineers of Brewer for $73,440 to replace Mainland Development of Livermore Falls and passed a $2.9 million bond to cover cost overruns.

Last year, then interim Town Manager Scott Cole said there was not enough specificity in the design, which led Sargent Corp. to deal with unexpected structures in the ground such as excess rock and ledge, and vaults that were extensions of basements that protruded under sidewalks.

Sargent postponed work last summer while waiting for the bond to pass.

The project is 75% complete, and the last estimate for the total cost was $8.6 million by Cole last year. Between $2.5 and $3 million of that is from grants, including from broadband and natural gas lines through the Northern Border Regional Commission.

“We got a message that there is not anyone that’s going to bring natural gas to downtown,” board Chairman Chris Brennick said, “so there’s no need to put those pipes in the ground.”

Carter said Summit Natural Gas of Maine did a study and determined that it’s not feasible.

“We’ve spent some of the grant money for the engineering, but there’s money left in that that can be used,” he said.

After contacting the Northern Border Regional Commission, he said, “It looks like we’re going to be able reallocate that to either sidewalks, paving or to the water line.”

Selectmen voted 5-0 to forego the gas line project and to reallocate the money.

Economic Developer George O’Keefe, talking about the feasibility study, said, “It is not, in any way, a reflection of poor economic conditions in Rumford. Summit made it very clear to us that the pipeline operator was asking for an absolutely extraordinary fee in order to connect. That is a function of the regional gas market in New England right now where the pipeline operators have more demand than they have capacity.”

Carter said another part of the grant was for broadband for The Island. “So we are still exploring that avenue to see if we can use some of that to get either Wi-Fi hot spots or some high-speed into some locations.”

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