Price public works seeks emergency purchase of $200,000 precast culvert to keep canal crossing project on schedule

Public works staff told the council the canal crossing project was modified to a single crossing under the Joint Highway Committee and Transportation Commission guidance and is now out for contractor bids. Staff said the project must be completed before spring water flows in the canal and that the road on Carbon Avenue will be closed for the duration of construction.

Engineers designed a precast, pre‑poured box culvert that has a minimum lead time of four to five weeks. Staff provided an estimate that the culvert will cost approximately $200,000 and said only two statewide suppliers have capacity to supply it: Old Castle and Geneva. Because a sealed bid process would take too long, staff requested quotes directly from the two suppliers and recommended ordering the culvert now so it will be on site when the contractor completes bonding and paperwork.

To expedite the purchase, staff asked the council to hold a special meeting next week to approve whichever supplier brings the lower, timely quote. Councilors discussed tradeoffs between price and lead time: if one supplier delivered in four weeks but charged more, timing might justify the higher price because the water flows in March and delays would disrupt the project. Staff also said purchasing the culvert directly could reduce contractor markup and save the city sales tax and markup costs (staff estimated about $10,000 in reduced markup/sales‑tax exposure compared with contractor procurement).

Council directed staff to seek the second quote and to schedule a special meeting (proposed for Monday at 6 p.m. in the transcript) so the council can approve the supplier quickly. No formal contract award was recorded in the workshop; staff said reimbursement for the culvert would be pursued where applicable.