Blackstone commission votes to put Lincoln Street tank repainting out to bid

The Town of Blackstone Water & Sewer Commission voted unanimously Feb. 13 to authorize engineering specifications and a public bid process for repainting and cleaning the Lincoln Street water storage tank.

Commissioners said they received a proposal to return to engineering firm Weston & Sampson (transcript referenced as "Wesson and Sampson") to prepare specifications so the work can be advertised and contracted. The scope discussed included interior cleaning, sandblasting and exterior painting similar to previous tank projects. The commission said the tank would be emptied, cleaned and the interior would be restored to the standard white finish used on the town's other tanks.

Tom Devlin made the motion to request the specs from Weston & Sampson and to put the work out to bid; Jake Stanley seconded. The chair called for a voice vote; the motion passed unanimously.

Commissioners did not set a construction date in the meeting; they directed staff to begin the specification and bidding process so contractors could price the full scope, including interior cleaning and repainting. Weston & Sampson was named in discussion as the intended engineering firm to prepare the bid documents.

The commission will return with bid results and a recommended contract award after the formal procurement process completes.

Ending: The commission opened the procurement phase for the Lincoln Street tank repainting; the next steps are preparation of bid documents by Weston & Sampson and receipt of contractor bids before any contract award.