Early End to Sewer Job Gets Builder Bonus

With a massive storm drain in place and work virtually finished on the widening of Beverly Boulevard between Fairfax and La Brea avenues, contractor Steve Bubalo is about to pick up a half-million-dollar bonus for completing the job six months early.

Scheduled for completion Aug. 16, the project involved installation of a $2.8-million storm drain on North Stanley Avenue that eventually will be tied into the flood control basin at Pan Pacific Park.

At the same time, Beverly was expanded with $1.5 million in federal funds, according to Roslyn Robson, a county spokeswoman.

“He’s very, very early,” she said. With the contract providing for a bonus of $3,000 a day for early completion, Bubalo’s reward for beating the deadline should exceed $500,000, Robson said.

While that seems like a lot of money, she said, Bubalo had to bring in extra equipment and pay his workmen overtime to earn it.

“We were very concerned about the residents along Stanley and the merchants along Beverly, because they were very concerned about the disruption,” she said. “So although the bonus sounds very high, it should be seen in context.”

Bubalo was not available for comment, but his wife, Louise, said, “Hopefully we’ll be out of there in a week.”

She said the job was finished early because of “hard work, good equipment and a good crew. Generally he was working six days a week. He wanted to beat the rain.”

As for the half-million-dollar bonus, she said, “That would be nice. I’d like to see that, yes.”

The project is part of a $20.5-million effort by the county Flood Control District to improve storm drains on the Westside.

The next step will be put out to bid in July, with construction expected to begin in the fall. It will include a storm drain on 3rd Street from Laurel Avenue on the west to Pan Pacific Park on the east.

A separate storm drain will be installed on Orange Grove Avenue, running north from Beverly through the grounds of Fairfax High School and onto Fairfax Avenue.

At the same time, the newly installed flood control pipe on Stanley will be extended north to Rosewood and west to Genesee.

“This will provide major relief (from flooding) to the entire area as we hook in,” Robson said.