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Wesley Chapel approves Dogwood Park dredging contract at up to $233,000 after questions about wide bid spread
Summary
On Oct. 13 the Village of Wesley Chapel Council authorized a contract and letter of intent for mechanical dredging of Dogwood Park pond, approving the lowest conforming bidder and authorizing Mayor Amanda to sign a contract not to exceed $233,000; council questioned the large spread between bids and sought bonding and disposal-permit assurances.
The Village of Wesley Chapel Council on Oct. 13 approved selecting the lowest conforming bidder to remove sediment from Dogwood Park pond and authorized Mayor Amanda to sign a letter of intent and, if terms are agreeable and reviewed by village counsel, a contract not to exceed $233,000.
John Leky, the staff member who led the solicitation and bid opening, told council he ran a sealed-bid process and received five conforming bids. "They all had the same scope of work, the same request for proposal, the same engineering drawings," Leky said, and recommended contractor number five because that bidder offered the lowest per-cubic-yard turnkey price and had visited the site and provided references that staff verified.
Council members pressed staff about the very wide range in prices — from the low bid near the budget to some bids above $2 million — and asked what protections the village would have if the low bidder underpriced the work. Leky said the village will require a performance bond and a contract consistent with the RFP and engineering drawings; the contractor must identify permitted disposal sites and is responsible for securing any required permits once material leaves the park.
Staff also outlined budget contingencies tied to the grant: the engineer's 4,700 cubic-yard estimate is an approximation, and Leky said the village could remove between 4,700 and 5,041 cubic yards without exceeding the $233,000 cap. If the actual volume were materially less than estimated, staff proposed using any underage to remove dirt from the dam to avoid returning grant funds to the state.
Council unanimously approved three related motions: to accept the recommended low bidder, to authorize the mayor to sign a letter of intent and to authorize the mayor to sign a contract (as reviewed by counsel) up to $233,000 in total. Council recorded the approvals by voice vote; no roll-call tally was entered in the minutes.
The contractor indicated it would likely mobilize about 60 days after contract execution and then take roughly 60 days to complete the work; final payment timing and a pay-as-you-go schedule will be set in the contract. Village staff said performance bonds and careful contract clauses will be used to protect the village if costs or volumes differ from the bid.
