The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-12-08
COST Or STREET
WORK IN EXCESS
OF ESTIMATES
Report Submitted by Engineer
to Trustees Last Night
CONDITIONS UNFAvORABLE
Unforeseen Circumstances Added Ex.
pense to Building Of Permanent
Improvements.

Much Of the time OF the regular
monthly meeting Of the village board
Of trustees last evening was taken up
with the report Of E. H. Breed, con
sulting engineer, relative to the work
so far accomplished on the permanent
improvements on the village streets
authorized at the last annual village
meeting in March. Mr.. Breed sub
nilted typewriter report in detail,
copies of which were provided each
trustee and he also made a verbal sup
Elementary report.
From the report of the consulting
engineer it appears that one-third Of
the work has been completed and that
Il has been necessary to expend about
twelve thousand dollars in excess OF
the tlmates. II was shown by the
report OF the engineer and by the con-
tractor, c. b. Lindholm. who was also
pra sent. that the excess was largely
due to conditions that arose after the
work was begun and which could not
have been taken into account when the
estimates were made. After the work
was begun It was found necessary
TO increase the rate of pay for labor
IN order to keep the men on the job
and this increase amounted TO S3500
The controversy with the Berkshire
Street Railway company and the delay
experienced in finishing the work on
East Main street added close TO two
thousand dollars TO the expense, Ex-
cayating on Depot street gecause of
water was accomplished at a substan-
tial cost over and above the estimates
Roughly estimated the reports show
ed that with unforeseen and unayoid
able contingencies that arose after the
work was begun there was an excess
cost above the estimates OF about
S5 O00. Contractor Lindholm stated
that he was confident that much of
this excess could be wiped out when
work was resumed in the spring It
is the intention of the contractors to
take on no other contracts until the
work In Bennington is completed. He
wi move his family here during the
winter and will give the work his per
sonal supervision at all times.
While the'trustees expressed regret
that the seasons work had not been
accomplished inside the estimates it
was easy enough for them TO under
stand that such a result was impos-
sible under the conditions that exist
ed la { summer. Labor was not only
costly In every section of the country
but in addition, the results we're far
below the average Of former years.
Applications for building permits,
George f. Lee, for a garage on Branch
street and a. w. Elicit for a garage
on West Main street, were referred
to the fire committee with power to
act.
William Friedman appeared before
the board with the request that condi-
tlons on Weeks street be remeded but
was informed that the overflow OF sur
face water was due to the small ca.
pacity OF culyert over which the
town and not the village had super,
vision
The fire committee was instructed
to make certain repairs at the Hook
and Ladder house.
The removal of trees on Dewey
street in front of the premises OF Ed
ward SENEGAL was referred to the tree
warden
The clerk was instructed TO draw