McCall approves easement and issues conditional award for 2-million-gallon water storage tank

The McCall City Council on June 12 authorized a purchase and sale agreement to secure a water utility easement from the Nokes Family Limited Partnership for $50,000 and issued a conditional notice of award to Ascorp Inc., doing business as Debco Construction, for the base bid on the Lower East Side water storage tank project in the amount of $8,349,035.

The easement purchase was presented by Nathan Stewart, McCall public works director, who told the council the parcel provides the access and alignment needed to connect a new tank to the city’s water treatment plant via a transmission main. “This purchase and sales agreement is specifically for the easement that is directly adjacent to our existing easement on this parcel…we will be compensating them $50,000 for that easement,” Stewart said.

The project includes a 2,000,000-gallon prestressed concrete tank sited east of the end of Woodlands Drive and roughly 4,800 lineal feet of new 24-inch transmission main to tie into an existing 12-inch main at Majestic View Drive and Woodlands Drive, Ross Hansen, the project engineer, told the council. Hansen said the new storage will more than double the city’s operating storage capacity and help meet peak summer demand until upgrades to the water treatment plant are completed in 2027 and 2028. “The major benefit…is that the only way for the water treatment plant to fill that 12-inch line is either by the distribution pumping from the water treatment pond or by making up that water out of the Heaven’s Gate tank,” Hansen said.

Council members were also told staff has secured additional easements needed for the project. Pine Creek Ranch recorded its easement for Woodlands Phase 3; city staff said only the Nokes parcel required monetary compensation. Stewart said the purchase and sale agreement and title work had been reviewed by city legal counsel and the Nokes family’s counsel.

On the construction contract, Hansen said six contractors expressed interest and four submitted close bids; the low base bid was from Debco Construction (Ascorp) for $8,349,035. Hansen explained some specialized costs—particularly the prestressed tank subcontract—contributed to the bid amount. “A D110 prestressed tank is a very specialized construction…there’s only two companies in the United States that build D110 tanks,” Hansen said, naming the specialized tank subcontractors as part of conversations on cost.

The council voted by roll call to authorize staff and legal counsel to finalize and execute the $50,000 purchase and sale agreement for the Nokes easement (yes: Council member Machesek; yes: Council member Nelson; yes: Mayor Giles; yes: Council member Nielsen). The council also issued a conditional notice of award for the tank project to Ascorp Inc. (Debco Construction) for the base bid of $8,349,035 (roll call: yes: Council member Machesek; yes: Council member Nelson; yes: Mayor Giles; yes: Council member Nielsen). Staff said the project is included in the water fund and is supported by a previously approved bond authorization and anticipated state revolving fund loans; council presentation materials cited a voter-approved financing plan of roughly $16.5 million in loans secured through the State Revolving Fund program with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

What happens next: staff and legal counsel were authorized to finalize the easement documents and proceed with the conditional award process. Project staff indicated they will continue to negotiate construction subcontract details with the selected contractor and the specialized tank subcontractor to seek cost efficiencies before construction begins.

Votes and formal actions taken on this matter are listed in the actions section below.