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Milton council approves low bidder for workforce utilities renovation over two dissenting votes
Summary
The council voted 6–2 to accept the low bidder and waive a bid informality for a grant-funded interior renovation of the workforce utilities building; two councilmembers said paperwork errors raised competency concerns though staff said affidavits and follow-up review satisfied procurement standards.
The Milton City Council on Jan. 13 voted 6–2 to accept the low bidder and waive a technical bid formality for a grant-funded interior renovation of the workforce utilities building.
Councilman Leake moved to approve staff’s recommendation to award the contract to the low bidder and waive the informality; the motion was seconded and passed after discussion about whether missing paperwork suggested a contractor competency issue. Councilman Cusack voiced concern that incomplete bid paperwork might indicate lack of capacity, saying, “if somebody can't do the paperwork correctly... it makes me wonder if they have the competency to fulfill the contract.”
City staff responded that the bidder had disclosed timing issues with subcontractor paperwork, provided an affidavit guaranteeing the bid price and compliance with the bid specifications, and that staff investigated the bidder’s capacity before recommending award. Council members with procurement experience said technical omissions are common and can be cured when overall requirements are met.
Mayor Castle read the roll call tally for the motion: the vote passed 6–2, with Councilmen Cusack and Ferro voting no. (The mayor recorded the aye votes as Councilmen Powers, McKee, Leake, Powell, Fretwell and Hawthorne.)
The council’s action approves the low bid and authorizes staff to proceed with contract execution and project oversight. Staff noted the project must meet the hard grant completion date of June 30, 2026, and that final payment is tied to satisfactory completion under the grant terms.
Next steps: staff will finalize contract documents, monitor the contractor’s schedule to meet the grant deadline, and report back on progress to the council.
