Saginaw board approves $18,700 pedestal installation for food truck park

The City of Saginaw board on June 29 voted 4-1 to accept a single bid of $18,700 to install three new power pedestals at the switch yard to expand electrical hookups for the food truck park.

S2 moved to accept the bid, and S3 seconded; the motion carried with four yeas and one nay. S1 said the city would dig the trench and perform some in-house work as part of the project, and that the bidder who submitted the $18,700 quote had previously installed pedestals at the site.

Board members asked about procurement and whether the job had been competitively bid. S2 noted only one bid was received; S1 confirmed the contractor had experience at the switch yard and that staff were willing to solicit additional competitive bids if the board preferred. S3 and other members discussed the trade-off between a contractor’s familiarity with the site and the potential cost savings of a wider bidding process.

S1 also said timing could affect work that disturbs parking: because some upcoming events will use the lot, staff will coordinate scheduling to avoid interfering with major events. No additional conditions were specified in the motion.

Next steps: staff will coordinate scheduling and oversee the installation; the board did not require staff to return with additional bids before moving forward on this motion.