Board names Pace Construction low bidder for wastewater expansion; award contingent on bond financing

Board of Public Works and Safety members on Aug. 4 determined Pace Construction LLC to be the lowest and apparently most responsible bidder for the city's long-planned wastewater treatment plant expansion and authorized issuance of a notice of award contingent on securing bond financing. The action follows a review by Wessler Engineering showing seven bids ranging from $26,689,000 to $37,577,000 and an engineers' estimate of roughly $30,000,000; the low bid from Pace was about 11% below the estimate. Wessler Engineering's Bridget Ingram told the board the firm received seven bids opened July 29 and had reviewed Pace's submission and references. "Pace Contracting LLC had a bid price of 26,689,000," Ingram said during the meeting. She said Wessler had checked references and found positive feedback from other municipal clients. Mayor Barnett explained the board's typical practice for large capital projects: determine the lowest responsive and responsible bidder and authorize the award, but not issue a notice to proceed until the city has finalized bonds. "We shouldn't send the notice to proceed until we have the 20 some million dollars able to prepare it," he said, recommending the award be subject to obtaining satisfactory financing through a bond issuance. Board members asked for and were promised a certified bid tab and supporting bid documents; Ingram offered to provide copies and email the packet to the clerk-treasurer's office for the record. City staff and the engineer also noted that the overall financing plan includes a bond issuance that the clerk-treasurer and municipal broker expect to place before year-end. Board action: a member moved to determine the low bid to be the lowest, most responsive and responsible and to authorize issuance of the notice of award to the contractor "subject to obtaining satisfactory financing through its bond issuance." The motion carried with the board voting in favor. The bids read into the record were: Pace Contracting LLC $26,689,000; Reynolds Construction LLC $29,417,000; Dineman Construction $29,698,000; Shook Construction $32,910,000; Mitchell and Stark Construction $32,960,000; Patterson Horth $37,300,000; FA Wilhelm Construction Company $37,577,000. Board members and the engineer also discussed a related West Side interceptor project that has only been estimated and not bid; city staff estimated interceptor costs at roughly $10 million to $13 million. Mayor Barnett said the bond package being considered would cover both projects and that additional local funds (RDC/edit funds) could be used if needed. The board's approval was explicit that award and notice to proceed depend on completion of the bond financing; if financing does not close, staff said the city would not issue the notice and the bids would remain as submitted under the RFP terms. Speakers quoted or cited in this article spoke during the agenda item labeled "evaluation of the bids for the wastewater treatment plant expansion."