City awards $694,819 contract for pole changeouts at I‑44 and Mother's Garden; part paid from MOPEP grant

The Lebanon City Council on July 28 approved a contract with BBC Electrical Services for pole changeouts on the I‑44 crossing and at the Mother's Garden location.

Travis (utility staff) told the council the existing transmission and distribution poles at the I‑44 crossing date to 1968 and need to be upgraded; the distribution pole at Mother's Garden was installed in 1988 and is critical for feeder contingency to several industrial customers. Because new self‑supporting steel structures exceed the city's in‑house handling capacity, staff solicited bids for the labor portion of the work. The city received eight bids; BBC Electrical Services submitted the lowest and recommended bid.

Staff presented the combined contract amount as $694,819.47 for the project (combined owner‑furnished materials and labor). Staff also reported the labor portion is $378,564.10 and that the project was budgeted at $200,000; the $178,564 overage will be funded using the city's MOPEP power infrastructure modernization grant program. Travis said city staff have submitted paperwork to MOPEP to use that funding for the overage.

Why it matters: Replacing aging transmission and distribution structures and installing modern galvanized steel poles improves reliability and contingency capability for the electrical distribution system, particularly for industrial customers on that side of town.

Discussion vs. decision: Council voted to approve the contract; the discussion made clear that the work is specialized and labor‑intensive and requires outside contractors because of equipment and lifting limitations.

Vote: The ordinance approving the contract was moved and passed by roll call vote.