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Council denies AHSC bids, directs staff to re-advertise with reduced budget
Summary
Ridgecrest denied all bids for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) project after bids exceeded estimates and directed staff to re-advertise a scaled-back scope to reduce the city’s contribution.
The Ridgecrest City Council voted unanimously April 2 to reject all bids for the city’s AHSC (Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities) community involvement project and to authorize staff to re-advertise the work with a reduced budget.
Staff said the lowest bid returned at approximately $12.21 million, above the engineer’s estimate and beyond what the council preferred as a Measure V contribution. "The lowest bid was $12,210,000," said a staff speaker, and councilmembers said they wanted to pare the project back to avoid drawing on general-fund reserves or Measure V revenues beyond what is prudent.
What the project covered: Staff described the AHSC package as comprehensive, combining flood-control work, road repairs, sidewalks, bike paths, and pedestrian safety elements including hawk signals. The project originally included aesthetic or "nice to have" elements such as a 1,350-foot block wall that staff said would cost roughly $400 per linear foot — a roughly quarter-million-dollar item — and that staff proposed replacing with less-expensive fencing where appropriate.
Budget and grants: Staff told the council that an additional $350,000 grant for a hawk signal at Los Flores Elementary School had been awarded but that awarding a contract before receiving that written grant confirmation could make the city ineligible for those funds. Staff said they aimed to reduce the rebid target to roughly $9–9.5 million and are awaiting written confirmation of an additional $1.2 million in HCD funds.
Council direction and rationale: Councilmembers expressed support for rebidding with a reduced scope to protect reserves and avoid a large Measure V or general fund contribution later. One councilmember said staff had done a solid job estimating and that the close clustering of bids suggested the estimate was realistic; another emphasized fiscal caution given Measure V revenue shortfalls.
The motion to deny the bids and re-advertise carried 5-0. Mayor Endicott and Councilmembers Blades, Rajaratnam, Hayman and Gorman voted yes.
The action directs staff to adjust scope and rebid the AHSC work; staff said they are coordinating with the project engineer, Willdan, on scope reductions and awaiting formal written grant confirmations before finalizing the rebid package.
