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Rowlett council approves $1.57 million contract to add pump at Rowlett Road station
Summary
On Oct. 21, 2025, the Rowlett City Council unanimously approved awarding a contract for the Rowlett Road pump station additions after hearing that supply shortages and limited vendor interest produced bids far above the original $1.1 million estimate.
On Oct. 21, 2025, the Rowlett City Council voted unanimously to award a contract to Felix Construction Company to add capacity at the Rowlett Road pump station, approving a base bid of $1,427,770 plus a 10% contingency of $142,777 for a total not-to-exceed amount read into the record as $1,570,547.
Deputy City Manager Christophe Bauer told the council the project addresses a pressure shortfall in the system caused by recent growth and that the city rebid the work after bids came in far above the original staff estimate of about $1.1 million. "This is really our only option to move forward at this time," Bauer said, describing limited vendor interest and higher pump costs.
Council members pressed staff on whether the approved scope would meet future growth. Bauer said the work addresses a current capacity need and "should also support additional growth," though he could not quantify how far into the future that additional capacity would carry the system. He also described the 10% contingency as protection against unforeseen conditions such as unexpected pipe connections or other discoveries once work begins.
During the discussion, another council member noted vendor reluctance to bid on utility projects and raised reputation issues, saying the city has struggled in the past to retain vendor confidence: "The reality is we're trying to overcome a really negative perception ... we have in the past stiffed, vendors and otherwise," the council member said on the public record. Bauer and other staff described efforts to work with purchasing and to reestablish priorities in the capital improvements plan.
Council member Shoop moved approval and Bowers seconded. The mayor called the vote; the motion carried unanimously.
The contract award requires the mayor or his designee to execute the contract and related documents. Staff said some funding was reallocated from another project to close the gap created by higher-than-expected bids, and that city staff will continue work later this year on CIP prioritization and outreach to the market.
