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APW Committee Rejects Single‑Source Contract for Fleetwood‑Jordan Renovation, Orders Public Bid
Summary
The Evanston Administration and Public Works Committee voted 1–4 against a proposed single‑source $670,678 contract with Cordogan Clark for exterior work at Fleetwood‑Jordan and directed staff to put the project out to public bid amid concerns over access, cost, and prior estimate increases.
The Administration and Public Works Committee voted 1–4 on Feb. 23 to reject a proposed single‑source contract with Cordogan Clark Consulting Services for exterior renovations at Fleetwood‑Jordan and directed staff to solicit public bids.
Council members voiced reservations about awarding roughly $670,678 without a competitive process. “I think we owe it to our taxpayers to bid this out,” Chair Claire Kelly said, noting past instances where estimates rose after work began. Several members also questioned whether the construction manager on site could preclude access by other contractors and whether a competitive procurement might save money.
City Engineer Laura Biggs said the city considered bidding but cited practical access constraints at the school site and the need to complete work before the next school year. “We just decided to go forward with asking Cordogan Clark,” Biggs said, explaining that the firm, as construction manager on site, could coordinate subcontractors and said it could obtain quotes from its subs. Biggs added that bidding could delay work and risk missing the hard August deadline to have the site ready for school.
Council members pressed that the city lacks complete information on potential savings through bidding. One council member raised the school board’s earlier experience with an estimate that increased by about 50 percent and said that alone made single‑sourcing “uncomfortable” for a six‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar contract.
On the roll call, the motion to award a single‑source contract failed 1–4. Following the vote, the committee instructed staff to proceed with a public bid process so multiple contractors can compete for the work.
The committee’s decision shifts the procurement toward competitive solicitation; staff indicated they will report back with a bidding timeline and an expected award recommendation after the competitive process.
