Delavan awards $8.43 million library expansion contract to Corporate Contractors Inc. amid debate over bidding error

Delavan officials awarded the Delavan Library expansion contract to Corporate Contractors Inc. (CCI) on a voice vote after weeks of review of bids and follow-up legal and technical checks. The award covers the base bid of $8,282,900 plus Alternate No. 3 for elevator modifications, bringing the total to $8,433,300.

The decision matters because the apparent low bidder reported a substantial arithmetic omission in its bid that reduced its tabulation by roughly $320,000 (about 4.6% of the bid total). That prompted extended discussion among the library board, the finance committee and the common council about whether CCI should be allowed to withdraw the bid, be held to the submitted price, or be rejected for not being a “responsible” bidder.

Christy Monk of FEH Design, the project architect, told the joint meeting that Corporate Contractors Inc. had informed the city it would “honor their bid” and that, based on searches and correspondence, the firm appeared to meet statutory requirements to be considered the apparent low and responsible bidder. Monk said the city’s records showed no judgments or liens against CCI and that the firm had obtained the required bid security.

Saul Glaser, attorney for CCI, told the bodies that the contractor’s legal position was that it believed the omitted allowance created a legitimate bid mistake that would permit withdrawal under Wisconsin law, but that because the city’s attorney disagreed CCI had elected to honor the submitted price rather than pursue litigation. “If the…