Lacey council awards $6.25 million contract to repair Hawkes Prairie Reservoir, includes 15% apprenticeship requirement

The Lacey City Council voted unanimously on May 19 to award contract PW2021‑19 to T Bailey LLC to rehabilitate the Hawkes Prairie Reservoir, a 4,000,000‑gallon tank that staff said is structurally deficient and not up to current seismic codes.

City utility engineer Ryan Jewell told the council seven bids were received and the low bid from T Bailey LLC was $6,247,028.84, below the engineer’s estimate of $7,162,476.44. Jewell said the project will include a seismic retrofit, replacement of inlet and outlet vaults, roof structural members, and recoating of the tank interior and exterior; work is anticipated to begin by October 2026 and take about 225 working days.

The council’s action carries an apprenticeship requirement: the contract obligates the contractor to dedicate 15% of all labor hours to state‑approved apprenticeship programs. "This contract does include an apprenticeship utilization requirement," Jewell said, noting the city will track compliance during construction.

The award prompted discussion about how the city balances low‑bid procurement rules with community goals for local workforce development. During public comment earlier in the meeting, Lacey residents and union members urged the council to factor apprenticeship utilization and prevailing wages into public‑works awards rather than relying solely on the lowest bid. Mike Brown, who said he joined the Carpenter’s Apprenticeship Program in 2024 and later obtained steady employment, told the council public projects “should have apprenticeship utilizations attached to them,” adding that public money should produce public benefit.

Deputy Mayor (speaker 19) reminded the council that state law generally requires awarding to the lowest responsive bidder, saying, "I can tell you right now that we do have to take the lowest bid by state law." Mayor Annie Reiter and other council members said they would schedule a work session to review legal options and parameters so the council can better explain procurement limits and the tools that may be available to promote apprenticeships in future bids.

The motion to award the contract was moved and seconded on the council floor and carried by unanimous voice vote.

Next steps: staff will finalize the contract with T Bailey LLC, begin coordination for a fall construction start, and provide council with additional procurement context at a future work session.