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Upper Wildwood Basin 4 bids far exceed estimate; council votes to reject and seek options
Summary
Bids for the Upper Wildwood Creek Basin 4 project came in roughly $3.5 million over staff's available funding. City staff recommended rejecting the bids, citing a $4.2 million funding shortfall, and the council approved staff recommendations to reject bids and return with options.
City staff told the Yucaipa City Council on April 14 that bids for the Upper Wildwood Creek Basin 4 flood control and groundwater recharge project substantially exceeded the engineer's estimate and available funding.
The project, intended to add flood mitigation, groundwater recharge and trail connectivity in the Wildwood Creek corridor, received a low construction bid of roughly $3.5 million. When combined with contingencies, environmental permitting, tribal monitoring and required off‑site mitigation, staff said the total estimated cost rose to just under $7 million. Staff reported available funding of approximately $2.8 million, leaving a large shortfall.
Why it matters: The basin was designed to reduce peak flows, protect habitat and provide recharge benefits. The funding gap means the city cannot proceed without additional grants, redesign to reduce costs, or phasing the work differently.
What staff recommended and council action: Staff recommended rejecting all bids and returning to council with funding options and alternatives. Landon Kern, the presenting engineer, explained that a key driver of high bids was the market cost to export an estimated ~75,000–80,000 cubic yards of material; contractors priced export closer to $17–$20 per cubic yard, far above previous projects’ unit rates. Kern said the city deliberately did not specify an off‑haul site so bidders would price competition; that choice did not lower bids as hoped.
Council then voted to accept staff recommendations (motion brought by Councilman Wolsey) to reject the bids and ask staff to return with options. The vote passed on the council floor.
Ending: Staff told council it will return at the next meeting with options for addressing the funding shortfall — including seeking additional grant funding, redesign to reduce excavation/export volumes, phasing the project, or identifying acceptable off‑haul sites — and will consider the city's 2025 goals when proposing next steps.
