Heath council approves up to $36,000 for redesigned bid package for Town Center Park well

The Heath City Council voted on March 25 to approve a not-to-exceed (NTE) $36,000 contract to prepare redesigned plans and a bid package for well No. 1 at Town Center Park, a motion that passed by majority vote.

City project staff described the change as a response to supply-chain lead times on medium-voltage transformers that were part of the initial design. “We ran into some extremely long lead times … 67 weeks in some of the electrical items,” said Mr. Creed (city staff), explaining why staff asked the council to authorize redesigned plans and new bidding documents. He told the council the revised approach would use an off-the-shelf transformer and a variable-frequency drive (VFD) on site, which avoids the long transformer lead times but requires an enclosed, climate-controlled VFD cabinet.

A representative for Kimley-Horn, the engineering firm on the project, told council members that a high-voltage transformer is “just isn't applicable for this type of application,” and that the utility (Oncor) would not typically provide that kind of service for the well site. The redesign will therefore replace the medium-voltage equipment with an off-the-shelf transformer plus a VFD and a small covered enclosure.

Council members debated who should bear the cost of the redesign. The original request from staff sought up to $58,000 for redesign and bid services; staff broke that into roughly $36,000 for bid services plus $22,000 for the electrical redesign. Several council members expressed concern about asking citizens to pay for what they called rework. One council member suggested Kimley-Horn should “absorb” the electrical redesign cost as a gesture of goodwill; the Kimley-Horn representative said they would consult with their superiors.

After discussion the council approved a motion to authorize the repackaging and bidding work on a not-to-exceed $36,000 basis, which Councilman Weaver seconded. The council recorded aye votes from Councilmen Krauss, Weaver, Caldwell and Rufeld; the motion passed with a majority vote. Council instructions directed staff to sharpen the scope and seek cost savings where possible and to return with follow-up documentation and any required change orders.

Votes at a glance

- Approve minutes of the March 11, 2025 regular meeting — Motion by Councilman Weaver; second by Councilman Dodson; outcome: approved unanimously (recorded as passed during consent agenda).

- Authorize engineering bid/repackaging services for well No. 1 at Town Center Park, NTE $36,000 — Motion: not specified; second by Councilman Weaver; vote: yes — Councilmen Krauss, Weaver, Caldwell, Rufeld; outcome: approved (majority). The original scope requested NTE $58,000 (approximately $36,000 for bid services and $22,000 for electrical redesign); the approved NTE excludes the electrical redesign portion.

Staff said time is a factor because the medium-voltage transformer option had very long delivery times. Mr. Creed told the council the redesign is expected to reduce lead time to months rather than over a year. The council gave staff direction to proceed under the NTE amount and to return for further approvals if the firm does not accept revised terms.