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Committee approves roughly $5.18 million contract for Mastenon Lake dredging and shoreline restoration
Summary
The committee voted unanimously to authorize the parks director to contract Serfield Landscaping Inc. to dredge and restore Mastenon Lake and its shoreline, awarding $4,600,000 for dredging and $576,836 for restoration; staff said most work should finish by mid-next year and grant funds run through 2028.
A committee voted unanimously to approve a resolution authorizing the director of parks to enter into agreements with Serfield Landscaping Inc. of Yorkville, Illinois, to dredge and restore Mastenon Lake and its shoreline.
Ian Wade of the engineering division told the committee the project is "kind of the culmination of a lot of the planning ... we've been working on for the better part of five, six years now," and that staff split the work into two bid packages to match contractor specialties. The council awarded $4,600,000 for dredging and $576,836 for shoreline restoration, a combined $5,176,836 (about $5.18 million). Wade said the combined amounts are roughly $176,836 over the $5 million estimate but include roughly $250,000 in engineer-ordered contingency items that staff hope will not be used.
The awards followed a competitive procurement: Wade said the city received seven bids for the dredging package and three bids for the restoration package. He said the city’s approach allowed contractors flexibility in their dewatering and staging methods, which affected project timing. On schedule, Wade said some vendors said they could finish by the end of this year while others indicated early next year; he recommended a conservative completion window of mid-next year and no later than the end of next year.
Committee members praised the project as long-awaited and noted state support: one speaker thanked State Representative Barbara Hernandez for helping secure about $4 million in state funding to support the work. Members raised questions about the grant timeline; Wade said the current grant term runs through 2028 and that the grant administrator (referred to in the meeting as "VCO" in the transcript) has generally allowed extension requests.
Wade described measures intended to improve water quality and access: sediment removal and deepening, plantings to filter stormwater, underwater propeller-style devices and aeration fountains, and stone launches to improve kayak and small-boat access. He said those changes should substantially improve water quality and could make recreational events that had been suspended more feasible.
A motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded by Alderwoman Bait; the committee voted unanimously (5–0) to approve the contracts. The meeting adjourned at about 4:09 p.m.
