Committee awards Longmont Community Center contract after bid irregularity; Martin Service Company recommended

The POCS committee recommended awarding a general-contractor contract for the Longmont Community Center to Martin Service Company for $1,326,836, after the apparent low bidder omitted a required page containing alternate pricing. Staff said the project is fully funded by the state's ARPA Coronavirus Capital Project Fund (CPF) and described a review of sealed bids and follow-up unit-price clarifications.

According to staff, the originally-low bidder (Duvall Masonry Construction) failed to include a critical page in its sealed bid packet that listed alternates and unit prices; when staff sought unit-price clarifications from the two responsive bidders, differences in how bidders allocated division costs required clerical clarification. Staff said it would not be fair to permit the bidder that omitted the page to add material pricing after bids were opened. Staff recommended awarding to Martin Service Company as the lowest responsible responsive bidder after evaluation.

Committee members questioned the post-bid clarification process and whether the clarification changed competitive conditions. Staff said clarifications were limited to unit-price submissions where the two responsive bidders had differing interpretations of the specifications; those unit prices are not what determined the award but are used for later contract adjustments if needed. Staff also described the four alternates (pressure washing/concealing non-paved brick, replacement of lower-level flooring, wireless door access hardware, and an infiltration control system).

A motion to approve the award to Martin Service Company was made and seconded; the committee recorded the motion as approved by voice vote during the meeting. Staff said the project must meet the CPF program deadlines and that the grant can provide advance payments to contractors.