Waukesha Board of Public Works rejects two rebids, approves park surface contract and multiple change orders

Waukesha — The Waukesha City Board of Public Works on July 17 rejected two construction bids it deemed unsuitable, accepted a contractor bid for the Minaka Park resilience surface and approved several change orders on street, sanitary and pump-station projects.

Public Works staff told the board the Les Paul Performance Center rebid drew no acceptable offers and recommended rejecting the bid so the work can be repackaged and rebid. The board voted unanimously to reject that bid. The board also voted to reject a high bid for the South Street Parking Ramp Structural Repair Project after staff said the original solicitation contained overstated quantities and needed to be repackaged.

The board voted to award the Minaka Park resilience surface installation to the low bidder for a one-color pour at $92,450, a choice Parks staff requested as an alternate that reduced cost by $1,300 compared with a multi-color option and kept the project under the $95,000 budget line. Public Works staff described the accepted contract as the alternate one-color base bid.

Members approved contract change order No. 1 with Leylond for the East Broadway and North Hartwell Avenue traffic-signal improvements for an added $45,443.33. Public Works staff said that amount covers work not included in the original bid package — including removal of existing roadway (priced at $5,800) and additional quantities for curb, gutter and concrete sidewalk replacement adjacent to the project. Staff said the city has funds available for the change order and that the project remained under budget by approximately $7 after the change order.

The board also approved change order No. 1 for the Rubin Drive Force Main upgrade, totaling $15,420.01. Staff said that item includes rebuilding a manhole (rather than only replacing the chimney frame and cover), replacing a deteriorated corrugated metal culvert encountered on Rubin Drive and addressing undercut at two intersections. The change order also reflected a $12,000 bid reduction tied to a change in pipe size.

For two pump-station improvement contracts, the board approved change order No. 2 with Sable Mechanical to add a transformer required to connect a generator, at a cost of $3,174. Board members were told the transformer item was inadvertently omitted from the original bid documents.

The board approved 14 partial payment requests for ongoing capital work and accepted staff’s notification that two projects — the Badger Drive bus wash replacement and the Municipal Garage HVAC project — will go out to bid, with responses due Aug. 1.

Votes at a glance - Approval of June 19 minutes: motion by Joe Piper, seconded by Eric Payne; unanimous approval (Steve Cassens — yes; Joe Piper — yes; Joe Romano — yes; Eric Payne — yes). - Les Paul Performance Center Improvements (rebid) — Motion to reject bid: mover recorded in minutes; seconded by Eric Payne; motion carried (unanimous yes). - Minaka Park Resilience Surface Installation — Motion to accept the one-color alternate low bid ($92,450): motion by Joe Piper, seconded; motion carried (unanimous yes). Parks staff requested the one-color alternate; difference from multi-color option was $1,300. - South Street Parking Ramp Structural Repair — Motion to reject bid: motion by Joe Piper, seconded; motion carried (unanimous yes). Staff said quantities in the solicitation were overstated and the work will be rebid. - East Broadway & North Hartwell traffic-signal improvements — Change order No. 1 with Leylond, +$45,443.33: motion by Joe Piper, seconded; motion carried (unanimous yes). Includes $5,800 for removing roadway and additional curb/gutter/sidewalk quantities; staff said funds are available and project remains about $7 under budget after the change. - Rubin Drive Force Main upgrade — Change order No. 1, +$15,420.01: motion by Joe Piper, seconded; motion carried (unanimous yes). Items include manhole rebuild, culvert replacement and undercut repairs; a $12,000 reduction reflects a pipe-size change. - Rivers Crossing and Gulf Road Pump Station improvements — Change order No. 2 with Sable Mechanical, +$3,174 for transformer for generator hookup: motion by Joe Piper, seconded; motion carried (unanimous yes). - Partial payments (14 items) — motion to approve payments as presented: motion by Steve Cassens, seconded by Joe Piper; motion carried (unanimous yes).

Board discussion and context Public Works staff told the board the Les Paul Performance Center bid was a rebid after the initial solicitation received no bids and that staff intends to repackage the scope to reduce cost and attract contractors. On the South Street parking ramp project, staff said apparent overstatement of quantities produced an unusually high single bid; staff will correct quantities and rebid.

Parks Department staff requested the one-color Minaka Park surface alternate because it provided acceptable design flexibility while saving roughly $1,300 compared with a three-color pour; staff said the chosen option remains within the project budget. Board members asked procedural questions about the number of colors and how alternates were presented; staff clarified the contract will be for a one-color pour with a black base and a single color accent per the accepted alternate.

On the Rubin Drive work, staff described field conditions that required unplanned work: a culvert in poor condition, manhole work beyond the scope that was anticipated, and localized undercut repairs at two intersections. For the traffic-signal change order, staff said the additional work involved replacing roadway and adjoining sidewalk and curb sections not included in the original bid package.

A board member asked whether the bus-wash replacement would accommodate vehicles other than buses. Public Works staff said the new unit will be able to wash other vehicles and that the specifications include a control panel to adjust settings for different vehicle types; staff noted the current washer already handles fire trucks and ambulances.

The meeting concluded after the board approved the listed motions and payments and acknowledged the upcoming Aug. 1 bid openings for the Badger Drive bus wash and the Municipal Garage HVAC project.