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Story County trustees award $823,170 contract for Warren No. 11 open‑ditch repair
Summary
Trustees awarded an $823,170 contract to Anderson Drainage & Excavation for the Warren No. 11 open ditch repair after Bolton & Menk reported the low bid was well under the $1.1 million engineer's estimate; trustees and the engineer said change‑order risk is low but tree removal and corrugated pipe repairs remain potential cost variables.
The Story County Drainage District Trustees unanimously awarded the Warren No. 11 open ditch repair contract to Anderson Drainage & Excavation LLC for $823,170 on May 18, the trustees said.
Bolton & Menk project manager Tyler Conley told trustees eight bids were received on May 7 and "the math on all of the bids checked out." He said Anderson's $823,170 low bid was "significantly below the estimated $1,100,000 project cost," and recommended awarding the contract to Anderson Drainage & Excavation.
Conley said the contract is written to limit change‑order exposure and that the most likely item to vary is corrugated metal pipe (CMP) extensions, which were bid on a unit basis. "The only area ... there is a possibility of change, either up or down, is for the corrugated metal pipe extensions that may need to be repaired or replaced along the ditch," he said. Conley added that Anderson's unit prices for that item were the same or lower compared with other bidders.
Trustees also heard details about tree removal and right‑of‑way limits. Conley said tree removal was bid as a lump sum and that "trees within 50 feet of the centerline of the open ditch will be removed only if they cannot be worked around." He said the 100‑foot right‑of‑way along the open ditch cannot benefit from itself and that the contractor is responsible for tree disposal, which is typically handled by burning and burying within the right‑of‑way.
The bid tabulation included a wide range of proposals; Bolton & Menk's documentation showed the high bids exceeded $1.7 million. Conley said clearing and grubbing represented about 20% of the accepted bid, noting that proper future vegetation management could reduce that cost on later projects.
Trustee Lisa Heddens moved and Trustee Latifah Faisal seconded the motion to award the contract; the motion carried unanimously. Bolton & Menk recommended proceeding with the project provided the contractor supplies required bonds and insurance required by the contract.
The trustees did not discuss a construction schedule at the meeting. Questions from landowners focused on the extent of tree removal, potential crop damages if work extends beyond the right‑of‑way, and whether the county will perform long‑term vegetation management to limit regrowth after construction.
