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Franklin City board approves emergency purchase to replace pump at St. Martin’s lift station
Summary
The Franklin City Board of Public Works approved an emergency contract tonight to buy and install a replacement pump at the St. Martin’s lift station, bypassing the normal public-bid process because the existing unit is failing and redundancy is required.
The Franklin City Board of Public Works voted April 2 to approve an emergency purchase and installation of a replacement pump at the St. Martin’s lift station, a facility that serves a large portion of the city’s west side.
The board approved a $153,445 firm-price order for a new pump and installation, agreeing to bypass the standard public-bid process after staff characterized the need as an emergency. The vote was by voice; the chair declared, “the ayes have it.”
The board heard from Kevin Schier, superintendent for water and sewer, who said the station currently has two pumps and one is showing “20 years” of wear — recording roughly 20,000 hours of operation — and cannot be guaranteed repairable without removal and inspection. “To not have two pumps in that station at all times is not a good situation,” Schier said, warning that loss of the second pump would stop pumping at the station and create “a pretty big mess.”
Schier told the board the replacement pump is a large unit — roughly 110 horsepower and about 6 feet tall — and that lead time from the supplier is about 8 to 12 weeks after the purchase order is executed. He said the city has worked with Quality Flow, the local representative for KSB pumps, and requested the board proceed with that supplier because of the vendor’s familiarity and past service.
Chairman Porter (board chair) told members the supplier provided a firm commitment for the $153,445 price, which includes the pump, couplings, and installation labor. Schier said staff will assess whether the existing pump being removed can be rehabilitated as a spare and that the city is engineering the addition of a third pump for the station in 2025; he said funds are in the 2025 budget for design work. If the current failing pump cannot be rehabilitated, Schier said the plan would be to replace the remaining original pump in 2027.
Board members discussed competitive bidding and procurement. Schier explained that for specialty pumps the market is structured by regional representatives and that multiple competitive quotes are not always available for a given brand and model. The board was told the emergency authorization would allow staff to bypass the normal bid timeline required by state statute and proceed immediately so the city is not left operating the station with a single pump.
A motion to approve the purchase was made by Jim Witt and (per the meeting record) seconded; the chair called for a voice vote and declared the motion approved. No named roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript.
The board then set its next meeting for April 8, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. and adjourned.
