Suamico board approves $1.92 million East Deerfield and Deerfield Court improvements

The Suamico Village Board on Nov. 17 approved a contract to advance construction on East Deerfield and Deerfield Court, awarding the work to local firm Advance Construction with a base bid of $1,668,824.95. The board approved a 10% contingency ($174,582.50) and estimated engineering costs of $77,000, bringing the total probable project cost to $1,920,407.45. The project will be paid from TID No. 1.

Director Smits, who presented the bid tab and the staff recommendation, told the board the low bid fits within the village’s projected TID balance and that contracts must be signed before the end of the year to allow the expenditure: "So tonight, we would be looking for a motion, to approve the contract to advance construction for $1,668,824.95, plus a 10% contingency... and our estimated engineering cost of about 77,000 for a total project total of $1,920,407.45," Smits said.

Smits said the work includes full paving of East Deerfield (excluding a 2023 segment), a sanitary sewer extension to the village-owned parcel sometimes called the Davis property, and full construction of Deerfield Court with utilities. He said the village had budgeted about $2.2 million from the TID closure and added a contingency to the recommendation.

Trustees pressed staff on the bid variance between contractors and on contractor locality. One trustee noted the low bidder’s Part B and Part D unit prices were substantially different from other firms and asked whether the cheaper items reflected local logistics. Smits responded that Advance Construction is local and that mobilization and trucking explain part of the delta: "They're the most local contractors," he said, noting the company maintains a nearby yard and has done prior sanitary work for the village.

The board discussed scheduling, with Smits saying Advance could start on Deerfield Court once the contract is signed and that East Deerfield work would be timed to allow winter access for certain work items. After a motion to approve the award was made and seconded, Trustee Andrews asked for a roll call; the vote record shows all six members voting yes and the motion carried 6-0.

Next steps include preparing and executing the contract and issuing a notice to proceed consistent with the village’s procurement and TID expenditure deadlines. Construction timing and any specific phasing will be set by the village engineer and public works staff.