Contract award for Rio Vista sewer rehab draws worker‑compliance objections; council approves award

The City Council voted to award the Rio Vista Street Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation contract after public testimony flagged prior wage and compliance complaints against the low bidder, Big Bend Engineering. Speakers from the Center for Contract Compliance urged the council to reject the bid or require stronger assurances that workers would be paid prevailing wages; the contractor’s owner disputed the complaints and said outstanding assessments are contested.

The council’s consent vote approved the contract after Public Works staff and the city’s purchasing agent confirmed that Big Bend submitted the lowest responsible bid and met the city’s procurement and responsible‑bidder checks. Councilmember Kurtz said she would support the award but urged continued diligence; Councilmember Maaz recused because of a proximity conflict noted on the record. The vote carried with the recorded recusals.

Why this came up

Speakers told the council that the bidder had civil wage and penalty assessments and active complaints (the speakers said complaints were the result of wage disputes that affected workers on prior projects). The Center for Contract Compliance asked the council to invoke the city charter’s authority to reject non‑responsible bids. The contractor’s owner, Miriam Sharifi of Big Bend, said the matters were contested and that the company has long experience on local public works and had a strong record of local hiring on prior Anaheim projects.

How staff assessed the contract

Public Works and purchasing staff said the city follows statutory bidding procedures and Anaheim City Charter procurement rules. Staff reported verifying license status, bonds, required pre‑bid site certifications (noting a previously waived pre‑bid submittal was corrected), and required documentation. The city also noted it will continue monitoring contractors’ compliance during construction and retain the right to require certified payrolls and enforce prevailing‑wage compliance.

Council action and vote

The motion to approve the project and enter into the construction contract succeeded. The clerk recorded a 5‑yes vote with two councilmembers recorded as having a conflict/recusal on that item (Councilmembers Bayless and Maaz had recusals recorded for this consent item). Councilmembers who questioned the item asked staff to follow up with more frequent prevailing‑wage audits and closer contractor oversight.

What’s next

Public Works will administer the contract, the city will assert its right to audit certified payroll records and exercise remedies if noncompliance is later demonstrated. The Center for Contract Compliance said it will continue to monitor the project and encouraged the city to use its charter authority to reject bids when warranted.

Speakers: Gus Garcia (Center for Contract Compliance), Jorge Hernandez (labor compliance investigator), Miriam Sharifi (owner, Big Bend Engineering), Public Works staff and members of council who discussed procurement oversight.

Ending

The Council approved the contract while acknowledging community concerns and directing staff to maintain a higher level of oversight for prevailing wage compliance during construction.