Mason council approves two-year HydroCorp contract for cross-connection inspections, 6-1

Mason City Council voted 6-1 on Aug. 18 to waive sealed bidding and authorize a two-year contract with HydroCorp to provide a cross-connection control program, a program of inspections the city says it must expand to meet updated regulatory requirements.

The contract was approved in the amount of $26,449.72 after council members debated the decision to waive the sealed-bid process. Council Member Schaeffer said she would vote against the motion because the city did not go out to bid. "I'm gonna vote no. Simple as that," she said. City staff answered questions about liability and scope of work, saying the contractor will inspect commercial connections first and that responsibility for correcting violations generally falls to the property owner or commercial account holder.

City staff told the council that staff previously handled inspections annually to meet minimum requirements, but new rules require residential devices to be inspected every three to five years depending on the device. Because of increased documentation and notice requirements, staff said most communities now contract the work. Staff also told the council that, after consulting with EGLE, only two companies in the region were equipped to meet the compliance requirements; the city obtained quotes from both rather than proceeding with a full sealed bidding process.

Under the approved two-year contract, the initial work will focus on commercial properties; the staff report estimates roughly 218 commercial inspections in the initial scope and includes unit pricing for additional inspections if more accounts come online. Staff said the two-year term reflects that residential inspections will not be required during that period for most devices and that the city will return with a proposal for a comprehensive contract should residential work be needed.

The council approved the motion with six votes in favor and one opposed. The motion to waive sealed bidding and award the contract was moved and seconded during the meeting; the transcript records the yes/no tally but does not name the mover and seconder by full name in the vote tally.

The council also approved the consent calendar as amended earlier in the meeting; a minor wording correction to a resolution referencing the Rainer Creek Drain Drainage District was made before the consent vote.