Waukesha Board approves Davidson Road and citywide sidewalk contracts, rejects Fire Station 5 HVAC bids

The Waukesha Board of Public Works on Feb. 19 approved a $1,064,017.25 low bid from Musson Brothers for the Davidson Road Utility and Street Improvement Project and accepted the low bid of $535,345 for the citywide 2026 concrete sidewalk replacement project.

Public Works staff told the board they received multiple competitive bids for the Davidson Road project and noted a budget error in the agenda materials: "The budget is $1,220,000 not $560,000," the staff member said, and recommended moving forward with the low Musson Brothers bid. The board approved the recommendation by voice vote.

On the citywide sidewalk project, staff said three bids were received and recommended awarding the base contract to the low bidder, identified in the packet as "state contractors," for $535,345. A board member noted that the vendor had performed similar work for the city previously. The motion passed by voice vote.

Staff also recommended rejecting the bids received for the Fire Station 5 HVAC Improvement Project because all bids came in well over the department's estimate. The staff member explained one unit uses a different refrigerant than assumed in the estimate, which significantly increased cost: "We didn't know that going into the project when it was estimated... that became a much more expensive project." The board voted to reject the bids and directed staff to repackage the work and add budget for next year.

All three actions were approved by the board; each motion carried by voice vote. The board did not record an amended schedule for rebidding the HVAC work beyond directing staff to repackage and increase budget authority next year.