Like many in the community I have followed the nine-year saga of legal actions between Bob Cummins Construction and Bradford Sanitary Authority related to a 2014 sewer plant project. Before commenting, I should note that I personally was fortunate enough to have a more than 30-year run with the Bradford City Water Authority before retiring from the executive director position in 2016.
During my tenure, Bob Cummins Construction was at many times a low bid general contractor and awarded several major water system improvement contracts. Most notable would be the multimillion-dollar major renovations of our two water supply reservoirs of Marilla and Gilbert (now Richard Luther) dams. Over the years they have also been involved in a number of critical water treatment plant upgrades as well as a wide variety of other water related infrastructure projects.
All of these were accomplished with the assist of water-authority-retained, quality-design-engineering and construction oversight and were completed in a most professional and timely manner to the benefit of the entire Tuna Valley.
It would be totally remiss on my part, and cannot be overstated, the value of skilled men and equipment Cummins Construction made available to supplement our own Bradford City Water Authority forces during many late-night calls. Often this would occur in extremely difficult as well as hazardous conditions. Also of note have been the multiple economic benefits to our region due to their practice of retaining local skilled tradesmen as well as a wide variety of local subcontractors.
It is certainly recognizable that all local government boards and agencies try very hard to bring much-needed improvement projects to the customer base they serve. To this end they must depend heavily on reliable and experienced engineering that not only guides them through the oftentimes murky process of design, bid and build, but also does not somehow ensnare them in the entanglements of a very expensive, complicated and time-consuming legal system.
Courts of law may be a lot of things but cheap and speedy they are not.
For both parties and for the long-term benefit of our own community — I would hope sooner rather than any later — the phrase “amicable settlement” finds its way into newsprint.
Kim Benjamin, Bradford
