Council awards several infrastructure and equipment contracts, OKs SCADA and fiber bids

At its meeting, the New Richmond City Council approved a series of infrastructure contracts and purchases intended to maintain electric and utility operations and to support school projects.

Utilities staff recommended awarding a not-to-exceed $50,000 contract to Push Incorporated for contracted pole replacements after soliciting five bids. The council also approved purchasing two three-phase transformers (Resco ERCO units) for school conversion projects at a combined quoted cost of $43,008.34; staff clarified installation and moving costs will be borne by the school district while the city will purchase the units. One council member abstained from that vote due to a relationship with the school.

Council approved awarding a pickup replacement (truck #64) to Johnson Ford for $44,489 after staff reviewed bid compliance. For sewer infrastructure, staff recommended and council approved a cured-in-place-pipelining (CIPP) contract with VISIA Sewer for approximately $86,943 to line roughly 2,300 feet as a phase 1 of a multi-year program; staff estimated the lining material would reduce future excavation, last 50+ years and cost roughly $38 per linear foot compared with substantially higher costs for full-depth replacement.

Separately, council authorized staff to solicit bids to replace end-of-life programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in the water system after an MSA review of SCADA infrastructure, and approved authorization to bid fiber-optic conduit and fiber to remaining wells and towers to move SCADA off radios and potentially support advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in the future.

Council approved each procurement or authorization after staff answered technical questions about scope, costs and implementation responsibilities.