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Council approves federal grant-funded lead service line replacement contract after bid disputes
Summary
Council approved a Hood Construction bid to replace lead water service lines under a federally funded program; the project, funded 80% by federal grant with a 20% local match, generated council discussion about bid responsiveness, contractor capacity and inspection responsibilities.
The Quincy City Council approved a contract to replace lead water service lines with a bid awarded to Hood Construction of Rushville, Illinois. The contract is funded primarily by a federal grant: council discussion noted a $2,400,000 federal grant and a $600,000 local match drawn from the water fund (an 80/20 split).
The item generated extended discussion about the bidding process and whether a different bidder’s submission should be deemed responsive. Jeffrey Conte (Public Works Director) explained that one originally low bidder had not included complete paperwork at submission and was initially labeled “non-responsive” by legal; subsequent documentation from Dodge Reports showed the bidder had run the required online advertisement, and staff concluded the bidder met the advertised requirements.
Councillors expressed concern about the size of the low bid versus the engineer’s estimate and whether the low-bidding contractor could complete the work to standard. Jeffery Conte said prior projects with the contractor included both satisfactory completions and some corrected deficiencies; he also said payment is tied to completed services and that the contract includes rights to terminate if the contractor fails to perform.
Council motions during the meeting included removing an earlier tabling and motions to send the award to the lowest bidder; ultimately the council voted to adopt the Hood Construction bid in the amount of $2,727,958 for the lead service line replacement project. The roll call recorded "12 ayes, 1 absent, 1 vacancy" on the final adoption.
Jeffrey Conte said the project will prioritize minimizing yard disturbance by using boring techniques where practical and will cap and disconnect old services at the main. He said the work will be inspected by city staff and that the contract completion is expected by December 31 (staff indicated they may seek an extension if needed but stressed they must avoid losing grant funds). Conte also said the program is part of a larger mandate to remove roughly 5,800 lead services, and that the contract scope maximizes grant dollars to replace the greatest number of services possible.
Council members asked for assurances on inspection and quality control; staff said inspections will be performed by city personnel and that payment is contingent on completed and inspected work.
Outcome: The council adopted the resolution awarding the contract to Hood Construction (Rushville) for $2,727,958; recorded roll-call on the adoption read 12 ayes, 1 absent, 1 vacancy.
