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Willows council rejects Sycamore Park bids, authorizes rebid focused on pool and courts
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Summary
After bids for the Sycamore Park Beautification Project came in higher than estimates, the Willows City Council voted 5-0 to reject all bids and direct staff to rebid the project with a narrowed scope prioritizing pool rehabilitation and court repairs while offering pathways, lighting and solar as alternates.
The Willows City Council voted unanimously on March 24 to reject all bids for the Willows Mobility, Recreation and Beautification Project (Sycamore Park) and authorized staff to repackage and rebid the project with a narrower priority: fix the nonfunctional pool and the courts first, then pursue walkways, lighting and solar as bid alternates.
City engineer Laurie Loza told the council the project originated with grant funding beginning in 2023 and that design work by Willdan moved the project to bid in December 2025. Loza said the engineer's estimate was about $4.1 million but the low construction bid came in at roughly $5.3 million, leaving a shortfall despite about $4.7 million the city had identified for the project.
Loza recommended rejecting the bids and rebidding with a base bid for the pool and bid alternates for tennis/pickleball courts and sidewalks/lighting/solar. "What we'll do when we rebid it is we will divide it up into many pieces as we can so that if the numbers come back high again, we can have more flexibility," Loza said.
Council discussion centered on two issues: (1) whether design delays and scope choices by the original design consultant, Willdan, contributed to inflated bids and (2) how to preserve or re-sequence grant funding (including Prop 68 and potential CDBG program income) with the new schedule. Multiple council members criticized Willdan's timeline and said the consultant produced a design that led to uncertainty and wide bidder variance for complex existing-facility work.
Council member Bridal moved the resolution to reject all bids and authorize rebidding; Council member Hanson seconded. The motion passed 5-0.
Why it matters: Sycamore Park improvements include a pool that is currently nonfunctional and court facilities the city says are not ADA-compliant. The council prioritized returning pool function first as a public-service and safety matter and seeks to avoid exhausting available grant funds while still securing as many improvements as possible.
What comes next: Staff will repackage the project into a base bid (pool) and alternates (courts, pathways, lighting/solar) and rebid; staff also agreed to consider interim site cleanup and signposting to address community concerns during the delay.
