Livonia council approves $3.8 million asphalt contract and extends sidewalk unit prices amid procurement debate

The Livonia City Council voted to waive formal bidding and extend unit prices on several public-works contracts after public comment and council debate over procurement practices.

The largest item, a request from engineering to waive bidding and extend unit prices with Nagel Paving for the 2026 asphalt road program, totaled $3,806,939.15 from budgeted funds. Council approved the motion 5-1 after residents and one councilmember pressed for more frequent open bidding. Council member McDonough cast the lone no vote.

On sidewalk work, council finalized 2025 contract costs so homeowner assessments can be set and then approved extending unit prices with Rotondo Construction Corporation for the 2026 sidewalk repair program. Council members debated whether to limit the extension to one year; a substitute motion to limit the contract to one year failed and the original multi-year extension passed 4-2.

Why it matters: The votes maintain current unit pricing from prior bid years (some price lines originate in 2023) and reflect a council trade-off between locking in prices to avoid projected cost increases and the transparency advantage of re-opening competitive bids.

Who said what: Council members and speakers from the audience exchanged views about procurement. Council member Budzinski, who has experience in municipal contracting, repeatedly argued for better procurement processes and for more frequent competitive solicitations. A resident, Chris Moore, told the council "We have bid processes for a reason," and asked why the city repeatedly waives formal bidding for large expenditures.

Officials' rationale: City engineering and other council supporters noted that locking unit prices from earlier bids can save the city money in a market where material costs rise rapidly; staff said some current unit prices date from 2023 and that recent projects came in under budget, supporting the decision to extend rather than rebid.

Votes and outcomes: The asphalt contract (item 5) passed 5-1; the sidewalk final-cost item (item 6) passed 6-0; the Rotondo unit-price extension (item 7) passed 4-2 after a failed substitute motion to limit it to one year.

Next steps: Council members asked staff to review procurement practices and some members requested a committee-level review of bids and contract proposal practices for expenditures over $30,000.

Ending: With those votes the council approved multi-million-dollar work programs and directed continued review of procurement practices.