Villa Park approves $6.49 million contract for Jackson-area improvements, OKs engineering oversight

The Village of Villa Park on Monday approved a $6,487,050.50 contract with Trine Construction Corporation of Saint Charles to construct the Jackson area improvement project and authorized a separate engineering services agreement with V3 Companies Limited for up to $780,412.10 for phase 3 construction engineering.

Village staff said the project was publicly advertised and competitively bid, with a bid opening Dec. 17, 2024. Mayor Gerhard Lane told the board the village received seven bids and that Trine submitted the lowest responsible bid. Public Works Director Mark Guerra was on hand to answer technical questions.

The engineering agreement with V3 Companies was described as necessary because the project requires extensive oversight and a tight completion schedule to meet a FEMA grant deadline. Manager Hartline and staff explained the village selected V3 through a qualifications-based process drawn from a prior master services request-for-qualifications list rather than a competitive bid for professional services.

Trustees asked for clarification on procurement. Manager Hartline said engineering services are procured using a qualifications-based selection and that V3 was on the village's prequalified list and had familiarity with prior phases of the project. Trustees also discussed plans to re-open the qualifications process in coming years since the last master list is several years old.

The board voted unanimously to approve the construction contract and the phase 3 engineering agreement. The resolutions were presented as not to exceed amounts: $6,487,050.50 for construction and $780,412.10 for engineering oversight.

Construction of the Jackson area improvement project and the oversight agreement are intended to keep the project on a schedule that preserves eligibility for FEMA grant funding, according to staff.