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Utility board approves Gulfview tower reconditioning; awards project management to SEH
Summary
The Utility Advisory Board approved a roughly $500,000 reconditioning contract for the Gulfview Water Tower and awarded construction project management services to Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH). Board members pressed staff on contingency costs, warranty details and neighborhood impacts before approving both resolutions by voice vote.
The Utility Advisory Board on Feb. 17 approved reconditioning work for the Gulfview Water Tower and separately authorized construction project management services, advancing a program city staff said is aimed at stopping interior and exterior corrosion and restoring the tank’s coatings.
The reconditioning contract was awarded to Clear Creek Coatings Limited as the low bidder for a project staff described as “roughly $500,000,” including a $100,000 alternate to replace a riser/standpipe inside the tank if inspection after removal of insulation shows that work is required. The board also approved hiring Short Elliott Hendrickson Incorporated (SEH) to provide construction project management for the work; staff identified SEH’s role as including preconstruction meetings, on-site monitoring of containment and a final inspection.
Board members and staff said they favor proceeding but sought clarifications about contingency spending and the limited extended warranty included in the bid. Board member Kevin said the additional warranty option was framed as “an insurance policy” that staff would review further before exercising; staff said the contract resolution authorized them to add the warranty but that they would return to the board with further details on coverage and claim history before committing the extra $10,000.
Staff presented photos from a recent robotic inspection showing interior corrosion and several pinholes in the standpipe and exterior corrosion on platforms and fittings. Dean Seemuth, who led the presentation, said the bid includes sandblasting, spot welding of corroded areas, concrete repairs at the tower base and coating work inside the bowl and on accessible interior landings. He warned that the $100,000 standpipe alternate is a contingency and that crews may not have to spend the full amount if repairs are smaller than worst-case expectations.
On containment and neighbor impacts, staff said the contractor will curtain and sandblast the tower using fast-drying paint; they acknowledged prior incidents (a sandblast dust problem in 2014) and said they will coordinate with nearby properties — notably a nearby golf course — to manage temporary access and reseeding needs. The board was told planned shutdowns for the tower repaint are expected in warm weather and that the work will likely require about six weeks of tank outage once scheduled.
On corrosion-protection approaches, staff described an insulating, condensation-reducing paint called out in the bid packet and confirmed that cathodic (sacrificial) protection components would be replaced as part of the scope. Seemuth also noted the use of robotic inspections to avoid risks to human divers; the city’s prior internal policy change came after a historical fatality in a tank elsewhere.
Board members also discussed whether to keep project management in-house in the long run or continue using outside firms for specialized tower work. Staff said the city lacks certifying personnel for some tower-specific tasks and that SEH’s familiarity with the inspection and bid package (it performed the inspection and prepared specifications) argued for continuity on this project. Board members said they would press staff to seek savings and to explore internal certification or consortium approaches for future projects.
Both resolutions (reconditioning award to Clear Creek Coatings Limited and SEH project management) were approved by voice vote.
Votes at a glance
- Resolution awarding Gulfview Water Tower reconditioning to Clear Creek Coatings Limited — motion made/seconded; approved by voice vote (unanimous on record). Note: bid described as roughly $500,000 with a $100,000 alternate for internal riser replacement; schedule and start dates to be finalized in spring. (Referenced in transcript at presentation start and vote: topicintro/topfinish.)
- Resolution awarding construction project management services to Short Elliott Hendrickson Incorporated — motion made/seconded; approved by voice vote (unanimous on record). Staff emphasized SEH’s familiarity with the inspection and bid documents and noted the project-management fee reflects transfer of construction liability and on-site oversight.
Why this matters
The Gulfview tower serves a defined pressure zone and local customers; deferred maintenance has created interior and exterior corrosion that the city’s inspection found requires more extensive work than simple overcoating. The project is intended to restore structural and coating integrity, reduce interior condensation and extend service life while managing short-term service disruptions for neighbors.
What’s next
Staff will finalize contract documents and scheduling, return with details on the optional extended warranty coverage and either exercise (or decline) the $100,000 riser replacement alternate based on post-insulation inspection results. Staff said they expect the work to occur in warm weather and will notify adjacent property owners in advance.
