Seward council awards $1.86 million Worthen Boulevard contract and accepts NDOR project built by same firm

The Seward City Council voted 7-0 to award a $1,855,911.88 contract for the Worthen Boulevard extension to Emmy Collins Contracting Company Inc. and later adopted a resolution formally accepting NDOR (NDOT) project URB-6763 Sub 1, Carol K Boulevard, both actions recommended by city staff.

City staff told the council the recommendation to select Emmy Collins followed a review of bid materials and vendor follow-up; staff said timeliness of responses from bidders and subcontractor vetting informed the recommendation. Council members moved and seconded the award motion and the roll call vote displayed seven yes votes and no noes.

The council’s formal acceptance of the state grant project was presented as a routine final-acceptance step required by the state agency; city staff told the council the project was built by Emmy Collins and that there were no unresolved issues that would prevent final acceptance.

Staff said timeliness of information affected their recommendation on the Worthen Boulevard bid. According to staff, the agenda for the meeting was held pending receipt of requested documentation and was finalized close of business the day before the meeting; staff reported they received additional follow-up the same day and relayed that information to the council before action.

A representative of a competing bidder addressed the council before the vote and asked the council to consider his company. He said his firm had subcontractor pricing from Van Kirk and that he would not change his contract price if Van Kirk were used as the subcontractor, adding, "I will not change my my contract price. I will keep the contract price where it's at." He also said his company brought a local subcontractor onto the team and described that subcontractor’s local experience.

City staff described the selection process as accounting for both price and risk, telling the council that because the Worthen project is tied to other large projects (including a dairy processing project and state work on Highway 15), staff recommended the bidder they judged least likely to cause downstream delays even if that recommendation was not the lowest bid.

The council discussed the staff recommendation briefly before making the motion to approve. A separate agenda item to adopt resolution number 2025-16 for final acceptance of NDOR project URB-6763 Sub 1, Carol K Boulevard, was introduced and approved by the council; staff noted the resolution was a formality required by NDOT to finalize the grant project.

The council’s recorded vote on the Worthen Boulevard award listed Council Members Francis Sotto, Taylor, Tanias, Alderman, Singleton, Ferguson and Wardian in favor. The council later registered a unanimous vote to adopt the NDOR final acceptance resolution.

No amendments were made to the motions on either the contract award or the resolution. Staff noted the city requires performance bonds on contracts and that the city pays for that bond as part of the procurement process.

What’s next: The award authorizes contract execution with Emmy Collins Contracting Company Inc. for Worthen Boulevard at the approved amount; staff and the council did not set additional conditions in the meeting record. The NDOR final-acceptance resolution completes the city’s formal paperwork for Carol K Boulevard to be closed out with the state agency.