Sabine Parish committee awards $4.94M landfill liner contract to Triton amid concerns over low bid

At a November 2024 meeting, the Sabine Parish Solid Waste Committee voted 3-1 to award a contract to Triton Construction LLC of Lafayette for construction of a Subtitle D liner in Cells 8 and 9 at the Sabine Parish Sanitary Landfill. The low, responsive bid totaled $4,944,377, about $1.06 million below the committee staff's reported opinion of probable cost of "just over 6,000,000," Speaker 3 said.

Speaker 3 (Unidentified committee staff member) led the bid review and told the committee the tabulation showed five bidders and that Triton's bid appeared responsive. "Our opinion of probable cost ... is just over 6,000,000," Speaker 3 said, adding that Triton's $4,944,377 bid "is over a million dollars under that 6,000,000." On that basis, Speaker 3 recommended awarding the contract to Triton.

The committee discussed specific unit-price items and contingencies that account for part of the difference. Staff explained a $450,000 borrow allowance included in the bids would be used only if Parish-owned soils were not available; if on-site soil is used, the borrow allowance would be removed from the final accounting. Speaker 3 described the unclassified excavation bid item (item 11) at roughly $45.20 per unit and noted final quantities would be adjusted by survey when work is completed.

Several members and staff raised concerns about unusually low unit prices in some bids. Speaker 3 flagged one bidder's embankment line (item 12) quoted at "96¢," calling that "a big red flag" and saying such a low unit price may not be realistic. Speaker 3 also cautioned that Triton could have underbid the job, saying, "I have a feeling that Triton is gonna cry because I think they they underbid it," and explained the Parish is protected by bid bonds and the ability to require performance or call a bond if a contractor does not perform.

Staff also outlined scheduling and site-selection considerations tied to on-site soils. They said test cuts and coordination with the Parish's site manager (referred to in the discussion as "Pete") would determine whether Track 1 or Track 2 on Parish property provides clay suitable for the liner, and that clay availability should be resolved by February or March if construction starts in January.

On a motion recorded in the transcript as moved by "Remedus" and seconded by "Bison," the committee voted to accept Speaker 3's recommendation; the motion carried 3-1. The committee recorded the award to "Triton Construction LLC, Lafayette, Louisiana." Speaker 3 said a final contract change order will be brought later to reconcile actual quantities and costs.

The meeting adjourned following the award vote.