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Council rejects Grand Avenue reconstruction award after members question cost and prioritization
Summary
After hearing bid details that exceeded engineers' estimates, the Keokuk City Council voted 4–5 to reject awarding the Grand Avenue reconstruction contract; council members pointed to higher-than-expected core-sample findings, the shift from mill‑and‑fill to concrete, and the need to re‑examine priorities for street projects.
Keokuk City Council held a public hearing April 3, 2025, on bids for the Grand Avenue reconstruction from North 17th Street to Boulevard Road and declined to award the contract after a contentious discussion about cost and project prioritization.
Staff reported that bids were opened March 26 and that the low bid — read at the meeting as approximately $796,985.50 (as recorded on the bid sheet presented to council) — was well below the engineer's estimate of $1,250,000 but substantially higher than earlier planning estimates. Council members and staff said preliminary assumptions changed after core samples showed the existing pavement was not suitable for simple mill‑and‑fill repairs; as a result, the project shifted to more extensive concrete reconstruction, driving up the price.
Several council members questioned why Grand Avenue was being advanced ahead of other streets that ranked higher in a prior streets‑condition study. One council member said initial estimates (done before core sampling) were in the roughly $280,000 range and argued that at three times that amount the project "is no longer practical." Another member cautioned that while the current low bid may be favorable because the contractor is already working locally, delaying the project could mean losing that price advantage.
Councilors also discussed whether change orders on other ongoing work (18th Street) offered insight into potential future cost increases; staff noted change orders on 18th Street so far were a small fraction of the project cost. After discussion, the council conducted a roll‑call vote on the resolution to award the contract; the motion failed on a 4‑aye, 5‑nay tally.
What’s next: staff said they will continue reviewing the plan and timing for street projects, including pursuing grants for other prioritized streets (e.g., Fourth Street) and re‑examining core sampling and engineering to refine cost estimates before rebidding or reprioritizing projects.
