Morgan City selects engineering firm for grant-funded State Street electrical relocation

Morgan City Council on Dec. 10 authorized an agreement with Intermountain Consumer Professional Engineers for design and construction management of the State Street Electrical Service Relocation Project.

The city received a grant to underground power lines along State Street to reduce outages from wind and fallen trees, and staff recommended contracting the project engineering and management instead of performing the work in house. The council approved Resolution 2438, authorizing the agreement and related change orders.

Staff said the work is eligible under a $600,000 grant toward what is expected to be about a $1 million project. The selected firm, ICPE, did not submit the lowest dollar bid but scored highest on the formal evaluation, which included on‑site staffing and a scope that initially included surveying. "We had three bids, and the bid that scored highest was not the lowest, but it scored highest on the criteria," a city staff member said during the meeting.

City staff and the city’s consulting engineer, Mike Anderson, reviewed the bids and advised that the mid-priced, higher-scoring proposal offered stronger project follow-through and fewer likely change‑order charges during construction. The council discussed procurement language and asked staff and the city attorney to ensure the resolution described the selection as the "lowest responsive, responsible bidder," language the city attorney said is customary when qualitative factors are used alongside price.

Staff outlined an expected engineering schedule: design completion in January–February, bid solicitation in March–April and construction beginning when weather permits with an anticipated contractor finish by midsummer. The grant timeline spans multiple years; staff said the grant includes a roughly five‑year reporting window and the city expects to complete construction early in that period.

Officials warned of a supply‑chain risk tied to the grant’s Buy America and Davis‑Bacon requirements. "Some of that equipment has a bit of delay," a staff member said, noting larger electrical components can be on long backorder. Staff said substitutions meeting domestic-content rules may be required and that schedule adjustments could follow if critical components are delayed.

The council voted unanimously to approve the resolution. The motion was made and seconded during the meeting and the vote was recorded as all in favor.

The project will next move into detailed design and formal bid advertising.