Council votes to extend Police Department expansion bid after discovering plumbing problems

The Madison City Council voted Monday, Aug. 2 to increase the bid on the Police Department expansion project by $19,163.06 after plumbing and pipe problems were discovered during construction of the new police addition.

City Director of Building Cody Phillips said the additional $19,163.06 will go towards running a new sewage pipe behind city hall and the police department, while also repairing an existing pipe on the building’s southside.

“What they discovered when they uncovered that pipe was that it was almost full,” Phillips said.

Phillips said there were problems with the way the pipe was initially laid, and the current resolution would allow contractors to fix the problem without the city having to install a pump system.

“It shouldn’t happen again,” Phillips said.

Had the problem gone undetected, Phillips said it would have forced the city and the contractor to go “back to the drawing board.”

Mayor Paul Finley said although the city complex was not experiencing any plumbing problems, it was only a matter of time.

“We were getting ready to have a whole big problem,” Finley said.

Phillips said work on the pipe should begin immediately.

“The ditch is already dug,” he said.

Major Lee Weaver said she can’t wait to see the project completed, as the new addition to the police department will serve as both a giant asset to both the department and the residents.

The 14,000-square foot, two-story expansion will feature a training area, additional interview rooms and holding cells.

“It’s going to help the police department better serve the community,” Weaver said.