Lacey council approves $1.3M sidewalk repair contract and $2.57M Lift Station 9 upgrades

The Lacey City Council voted to award two public-works construction contracts: a $1,296,654 award to RW Scott Construction Company for the 2025 sidewalk repair project (contract PW2025-02) and a $2,569,661.06 award to Pacific Civil and Infrastructure for Lift Station 9 improvements (contract PW2024-13).

Public Works Director Scott Ager presented the sidewalk program and staff recommendation to accept the low bid. Ager said the project will replace more than 45,000 square feet of sidewalk in multiple neighborhoods, addressing offsets and damaged panels. The engineer's estimate was $1,780,000 and 13 bidders submitted proposals. The contract allows 160 working days and staff estimated work would begin in October.

"This is a really important program to me and I think a lot of people in the city of Lacey... use our sidewalks for safety," Mayor Andy Ryder said in supporting the award.

Utilities engineer Nate Inslee summarized the Lift Station 9 project and recommended award to Pacific Civil and Infrastructure. Inslee said the station, originally built in 1979, is the city's largest flowing lift station, serves over 5,000 sewer connections and has outdated electrical and generator equipment. The work includes demolishing and replacing the existing building, installing bypass and valve vaults, updating odor control and replacing the generator; staff allotted 220 working days and expected on-site work to start this winter.

Inslee also explained why the two lowest bidders on Lift Station 9 were rejected for failing to meet updated bidder qualification criteria. He described the procurement as having two "pillars": (1) the superintendent or named employee must have served as an on-site superintendent on comparable projects in the last seven years, and (2) the bidder must have completed two prior public-works projects with contract values of $1.5 million or greater. Inslee said the first low bidder listed personnel who had not demonstrated the required on-site superintendent role; the other low bidder lacked two qualifying projects at the required dollar threshold, so staff rejected those bids and recommended award to the next qualified low bidder.

Council members asked about traffic impacts during the Lift Station work; Inslee said at most a single lane closure would be expected and no full road closures were anticipated. Both contracts were moved and seconded, taken by voice vote and approved unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- PW2025-02 (Sidewalk repair): Motion to award contract to RW Scott Construction Company for $1,296,654; outcome: approved (voice vote, unanimous).
- PW2024-13 (Lift Station 9 improvements): Motion to award contract to Pacific Civil and Infrastructure for $2,569,661.06; outcome: approved (voice vote, unanimous).

Ending: Staff said contracts would proceed to execution with expected starts in the fall (sidewalks) and winter (lift station).