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Town council accepts lowest bid to install guide rails and pump at wet well
Summary
Schofield Town Council voted to award a contract to Jesse Sloan Plumbing to install safety guide rails and a pump in a town wet well after reviewing three bids; council members and staff said the work is straightforward but noted the price differences among bidders.
Schofield Town Council on April 7 accepted a $5,975 bid from Jesse Sloan Plumbing to install two sets of guide rails and the pump installation in the town’s wet well.
Council members said they reviewed three bids for the work and that town maintenance staff had inspected the proposals. The other bidders were Vancon, which quoted $28,300, and Terry Brotherson Excavating of Mount Pleasant, which quoted $15,540. Town staff told the council the lowest bid looked acceptable after review.
The vote follows a brief discussion of scope and risk. Council members and staff described the guide-rail installation as a small job that requires drilling and bolting the rails in place. Paul (staff member) said the installation “looks pretty straightforward. I don't see a thing wrong.” Council members noted that, while unexpected conditions could arise when workers enter the wet well, the town has new parts for two sets of rails and two pumps and planned to clean the wet well before installing the new hardware.
Council members discussed why Vancon’s bid was higher; staff said larger firms sometimes subcontract small jobs, which can drive up the price. The council acknowledged the price gap between the highest and lowest bids but proceeded to award the contract to the lowest bidder after staff review.
The council motion to award the contract to Jesse Sloan Plumbing was made and seconded during the meeting; the motion carried and the council moved on to the next agenda item.
The town did not specify a contract number or an estimated completion date during the discussion. The council chair said staff would proceed to schedule the work and that the pump can be installed once the guide rails are in place.
Votes at a glance: the council made a motion to award the contract to Jesse Sloan Plumbing for $5,975 to install the guide rails and pump; the motion was seconded and approved during the April 7 meeting (tally not read into the record).
