Ridgecrest posts pool construction bid; plans available Friday, bids open Sept. 30

City staff announced that the public bidding process for the new municipal pool is underway and outlined the next steps to council and the public.

City Manager Strand said the bid packet was posted on the city website and that construction plans will be available for download from the plan room on Friday. A virtual bid walk is scheduled for Sept. 9; bids will be opened on Sept. 30. Strand said the procurement process will run about six weeks and that staff has engaged Willdan to assist with bid review and qualification checks.

Strand said the contract timeline in the bid documents is for a 393-working-day contract (about 18 months) with a 60-day mobilization period after contract signing. He said Willdan will verify bidder qualifications, bonds and responsiveness and that the city will award to the lowest qualified bidder per the bid requirements. The staff report includes five bid alternatives; if the low qualified bid exceeds the budget the council will decide whether to accept alternatives, reduce scope or allocate additional funds from reserves.

Strand recommended council members attend the bid opening on Sept. 30; city staff will bring the bid analysis, recommendation and any suggested alternatives back to council for approval. Strand said if the council approves a contractor and signs the contract, the city manager will issue a notice to proceed and the contractor will mobilize within the allowed mobilization period.

Staff said a future step will be to budget and plan for pool staffing (pool manager, lifeguards and maintenance) and that the city will consider program and fee structures in a future budget cycle. No contract award was made at the meeting; the announcement put the procurement process into the public phase.