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Sandpoint postpones vote on Bridge Street retaining wall contract; staff say contractor can mobilize Dec. 1
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Summary
Councilors heard staff updates on the Bridge Street retaining-wall and sidewalk project and postponed a $396,672.50 contract vote to Nov. 19 after questions about bid amount versus restricted bond funds; staff said the contractor expects to mobilize Dec. 1 and finish work before March, weather permitting.
Sandpoint officials on Nov. 12 discussed a Bridge Street retaining-wall and sidewalk improvement project intended to widen the sidewalk and improve pedestrian access to City Beach. Planning and public-works staff recommended awarding the contract to Big Sky Corporation, but the council postponed the vote to Nov. 19 after some members asked for more time to review questions about the bid and funding.
Planning and community-development director Jason Walker told the council the project would remove the existing pile wall, build a new retaining wall and install a wider sidewalk. Walker said no permanent application has been submitted for the adjacent development site and that prior land-swap terms restrict some related portions of the property. He also clarified that $385,000 set aside in a security bond is restricted to this location and cannot be used for other projects, and that an additional $75,000 cash contribution given in 2022 was intended to fund a future staircase to the boardwalk.
Public works director Holly Ellis said the contractor intends to mobilize Dec. 1 and work as weather allows through winter, with the project scheduled to be finished before March. Councilman Rick Howarth moved to approve a $396,672.50 contract with Big Sky Corporation, but the motion failed for lack of a second. A subsequent motion to postpone the item to the council’s Nov. 19 meeting passed on a roll call vote (majority yes, one no). Mayor Grama announced the motion passed.
Council members asked whether combining this work with the downtown revitalization project could save mobilization costs; staff said the two projects involve different contractor skill sets and there was no opportunity to consolidate mobilization without rework. Walker recommended approving the contract given seven years of limited pedestrian access at the site since the 2018 fire, but several councilors requested another week to resolve outstanding questions about the bid and legal issues tied to the land swap.
No contract was awarded on Nov. 12; the council will revisit the matter at the Nov. 19 meeting. Staff said if the council approves a contract then, the contractor is prepared to be on-site and begin work on Dec. 1.
