Lago Vista council approves $3.62 million irrigation, effluent dispersal contract with subcommittee review

The Lago Vista City Council voted unanimously to award RFP 26-02 — the city’s golf-course irrigation and effluent-dispersal replacement project — to Diamond Golf International at a bid of $3,615,632.23 and authorized the city manager to execute the contract after a subcommittee review.

Victor (city staff), who presented the bid evaluation to the council, said staff contacted references and received uniformly positive feedback. “I actually contacted three of the references, and they had positive feedback from pretty much everybody,” he said. Councilors noted the selected bid came in substantially below earlier budget estimates and earlier internal projections.

Councilors pressed staff on change-order authority and project timing. City Manager Charles said any significant change orders should be brought back to council: “Any change orders of a significant amount will have to come back before city council,” he said. Staff said the contract allows 150 days for completion from the notice to proceed; Victor estimated the contractor could break ground in about two months once final approvals and due diligence are complete.

The motion to award the contract came from the mayor pro tem and was seconded by Councilmember Venice. Councilor Paul Prince asked that the contract be reviewed by the irrigation subcommittee before the city manager signs it; the motion accepted that amendment and passed unanimously.

Next steps: staff will finalize the procurement paperwork, schedule the subcommittee review of the contract language and warranty provisions, and return to the manager to execute the agreement once the subcommittee sign-off is complete.