Sweetwater Authority committee rejects Bonita Valley control building bids, directs rebid

The Sweetwater Authority Engineering and Operations Committee voted unanimously Jan. 13 to reject all bids for the Bonita Valley Reservoir control building roof replacement and directed staff to repackage and rebid the project.

The vote came after staff reported the lowest bid of $295,840 from J and H Construction Inc., a total substantially higher than the project budget of $150,000 and the engineering estimate. Staff had recommended awarding the contract but outlined reasons why bids exceeded the estimate, including uncertain hidden damage under the roof and rising material costs.

The Bonita Valley Reservoir control building sits adjacent to the authority’s 18 million‑gallon underground Bonita Valley Reservoir and houses equipment such as water‑quality analyzers and control panels that staff said must remain secured indoors. Staff described the building as roughly 2,000 square feet and said the bid assumed up to 50%…