Committee backs contract award for Tremont Lift Station after engineers outline scope and capacity

The Bellingham Public Works & Natural Resources Committee voted to forward a recommendation to award a construction contract for the Tremont Lift Station, a new sewer lift station at Meridian Street and Tremont Avenue intended to connect a low-lying basin to the city sewer system.

Mike Wilson, assistant director of public works serving as city engineer, told the committee the lift station is needed where the local basin does not gravity-flow into the system and said the project will allow existing West Side properties to connect and enable future annexations and development contemplated in long-range planning. "I'm Mike Wilson, assistant director of public works over engineering and serving as a city engineer as well," he said while summarizing the project background.

Project Engineer Kyle Carlson detailed technical elements, including two pumps with space for a third, a new force main to tie into the existing sewer system between Horton and Van Wyck Road, a fiber line for SCADA capacity, and off-site environmental mitigation at Baker Creek open space. Carlson said the project includes a new force main sized to meet the comp plan and the design accounts for the potential future addition of a third pump.

Committee member Lisa asked about the construction schedule and traffic impacts during summer events. Carlson said final sequencing will be set with the contractor and that much of the roadway work will be coordinated later in the schedule to limit disruption. "With a project this long, a lot of work will be focused right at the lift station," he said.

The committee heard that the city publicly opened five bids on April 23; the transcript records a lowest responsive bid of $3,058,400.30 (including sales tax) and an engineer's estimate of about $3,300,000. The committee moved to award the contract (motion made by Lisa) and signaled approval by voice; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the transcript. The motion text in the record directed award of "contract number 19B for the Tremont Lift Station to Jagger Construction LLC," while the earlier bid announcement named "Tiger Construction Limited" as the low responsive bidder. The committee did not appear to resolve that discrepancy in the meeting record.

The committee also noted an apprenticeship-hour requirement as part of the contract terms. Chair Council member Lilliquis said he would bring the positive recommendation forward to the full council for formal action.

The committee moved on to the next item after the vote; the record shows no further debate on the Tremont award at this meeting.