Council approves three-year demolition contract with Pridemore Construction LLC at $54 per tonne

The Paris City Council voted 7-0 to accept the low bid from Pridemore Construction LLC for structural demolition services at a rate of $54 per tonne under a three-year contract.

City staff told the council the contract was solicited publicly; the city received three bids (two from Paris-area firms and one from Rockwall, according to staff). Staff said Pridemore was the lowest bidder, has previously done work for the city, carried required insurance, and that references checked positively.

Staff explained the $54-per-tonne rate covers Pridemore's demolition work only; the city will continue to pay established landfill tipping fees when contractors haul material to the landfill. Council members asked whether Pridemore possessed the required heavy equipment and whether insurance and other contract requirements were in place; staff answered that Pridemore has the necessary equipment, trailers and insurance and that the city checked references.

Council noted the previous contract rate of $36.65 per tonne and that the new $54-per-tonne rate represents roughly a 47 percent increase. Staff said three bids this cycle represented an improvement over prior solicitations that had produced only a single bid. One council member asked whether staff had contacted the previous contractor about the higher bids; staff said they had not reached out to ask why the previous contractor bid higher.

Council approved the contract by unanimous roll call (7-0). The transcript does not record individual mover/second names for the motion, and the contract number was not specified in the meeting record.