Monroe City awards $4.72 million contract for 2025 water-main replacement (Map 5)

Monroe City Council voted unanimously to award the 2025 water-main replacement contract for Map 5 to Salem Bean Trucking and Excavating Inc. The motion, made by Councilman Hader and supported by Councilman Stillgrave, authorized a base contract of $4,724,944 and directed staff to encumber a total of $5,435,000 to include a 15 percent contingency and to allow transfers, including temporary advances from water-fund reserves until bond proceeds are available.

"This is the area that basically includes the entirety of the South Monroe townsite neighborhood," said Patrick Lewis, the city's director of engineering and public services. Lewis told council the engineer's estimate had been lowered during the bidding process but that the bids still came in under the latest estimate. The estimate shown in the presentation was about $5,480,000; the apparent bid savings on the package is roughly $755,000.

Lewis said Salem Bean will begin work on Strasburg Road in the first week of January with three crews and expects construction to continue into late 2025. He noted the contractor meets the city's responsible-bidder requirements and indicated paving and some subcontractor use will be determined by availability; subcontractors named in the packet were prequalified.

Council members were told the engineering department will request additional inspection support to oversee multiple concurrent projects and that staff will continue to manage scheduling, traffic impacts and contractor coordination as work proceeds.

The motion passed on a roll call vote. Mayor Clark and all council members present voted to approve the award.