Lawrenceburg utility board approves Sourcewell use, buys trencher at roughly $199,527 and OKs sewer contract supplement

The Lawrenceburg Utility Board unanimously approved a joint Sourcewell cooperative purchasing resolution and voted to buy an electric trencher through a Sourcewell/Vermeer contract for $199,526.90 after staff presented multiple competing quotes.

Director Snyder told the board the Vermeer quote procured through Sourcewell was $199,526.90, compared with $224,784 for a non-Sourcewell quote and roughly $267,323.94 from a competing vendor. "The Vermeer quote through Sourcewell was significantly less than the non-Sourcewell quote," Snyder said, noting staff will document the price comparison to meet a State Board of Accounts requirement that cooperative purchases demonstrate a "substantial savings." The board voted to approve the purchase.

Why it matters: officials said using Sourcewell can save the city and ratepayers money when the city attorney signs off and a clear savings is recorded. The board approved a joint resolution so both the utility and civil city can use the same cooperative purchasing process when appropriate.

The meeting also approved a supplemental agreement with engineering firm BFNS for lift station LS13. Jeff Meyer of BFNS described unexpected pump failure on recently installed equipment and additional scope work — hydraulic review, screening evaluation and consideration of a permanent generator and reinforced concrete design — that he said extended beyond the original 2024 contract.

Meyer said, "It was my fault of not putting the project forward with what was best for the project and utility," and asked the board to accept a not-to-exceed increase of $15,400. The board voted to raise the contract cap from $39,200 to $54,600.

Board members discussed budget availability and recordkeeping. Director Snyder said the trencher purchase was budgeted (originally for a different piece of equipment) and staff would keep comparative quotes and receipts in the record to document the Sourcewell savings in case of later review by the State Board of Accounts.

What happens next: procurement staff will complete the Vermeer/Sourcewell purchase and maintain documentation of the price comparison. The BFNS supplement is authorized and the firm may proceed with the additional work under the revised contract cap.

Sources: Remarks and motions recorded by meeting officials during the Lawrenceburg Utility Board session. No outside documents were supplied beyond oral summaries provided at the meeting.