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La Porte awards $1.38 million contract for well houses, tables larger pipeline bid
Summary
The Board of Public Works approved a $1,380,000 contract to HRP for construction of two well houses and related site work, while the larger 7,500-foot raw-water pipeline bid was tabled after bids came in far above estimates.
La Porte’s Board of Public Works on Tuesday approved a $1,380,000 contract to HRP for construction of two well houses, electrical work and site work tied to the Soldier Memorial raw water supply, and tabled a separate, higher-priced bid for the pipeline that would carry raw water to the plant.
The board approved the smaller contract after city engineers and consultants recommended awarding the package that includes the well buildings, fencing, gravel roadway and electrical connections. “Our recommendation is that we do award contract 2 for those 2 well houses,” consultant Howard Jones said during the meeting.
City staff said the second contract — roughly 7,500 feet of raw-water piping — drew only two bids and the lowest came in at about $4.3 million, well above the engineer’s estimate of $2.77 million. Staff and board members cited strong contractor workloads and uncertainty about tariffs and material prices as reasons for rebidding the pipeline later this year to seek lower prices.
Tim Warner told the board the contracts were split to attract bidders who might only do one part of the work: “We split this contract into 2 contracts. Contract 2 was for the well buildings and also a little bit of electrical … and our recommendation is that we do award contract 2.”
Board members voted to table the larger pipeline contract while approving HRP’s contract 2. The board noted the pipeline is critical to move raw water to Plant 1 so Plant 2 can be rehabilitated, but said it will continue to seek alternative bidding strategies, seasonal rebids and possible piecemeal approaches to lower costs.
City staff said the pipeline project must proceed at some point and that the water department would shift internal funding if necessary to complete it, but that other department projects might be delayed as a result.
The board recorded the motion to award contract 2 and to table contract 1; members voted “Aye” and the motions passed.
Board members and staff emphasized contractor responsiveness and quality as part of the award decision. One board member said HRP had been responsive to residents on a past I Street project, calling that communication “what’s most important.”
The board also discussed coordination of this work with related projects in the area, including Community Crossings paving and a trail/restroom project, because staging and paving schedules affect restoration costs and grant eligibility.
The board’s action allows construction of the well houses to proceed while staff rebids the pipeline portion with the goal of securing more competitive pricing.
