DeKalb council awards $5.07 million bid for Chicago West Business Center transmission main

The DeKalb City Council voted to award the Chicago West Business Center transmission water main contract to Elliot and Wood for $5,074,999.99, with a city contingency of $250,750, bringing the total project budget to $5,328,750.

City Manager Bill Nicholas recommended the award, saying the work will extend roughly 3.8 miles of 16-inch main to serve planned growth. "The lowest responsible low bid was Elliot and Woods, in the amount of $5,074,999.99," Nicholas said during the meeting, adding that staff had originally expected costs that could approach $8 million and had prepared to pursue a low-interest IEPA loan. Instead, the council approved using water fund reserves to cover the project and contingency.

Nicholas said the transmission main is intended to create shovel-ready infrastructure to support economic development on the city's south side and will work in concert with other utility investments, including power and sanitary infrastructure. Responding to a question about coordination with the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District, Nicholas said sanitary sewer work will be separately bid by KWRD.

Alderman Smith praised that the work went to a local contractor and asked whether the city's reserves would remain adequate; Nicholas replied that reserves for capital-related funds are expected to remain around 50% of annual expenditures.

The resolution passed on a recorded roll call. Funding for the project was identified in the staff report as coming from the water fund reserve; the council did not approve borrowing for this project.

Next steps: the contract award was authorized and staff will proceed with final contracting and construction scheduling.