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Utility board tables $1.11 million bid for Lift Station 13 after single over-budget proposal
Summary
The Lawrenceburg Utility Board deferred action June 15 after receiving one bid of $1,111,094 for Lift Station 13 — well above the engineers' $810,000 estimate — and voted to table the decision until a full board can review the single proposal.
The Lawrenceburg Utility Board on June 15 tabled a decision on a $1.11 million bid for Lift Station 13 after staff received a single proposal that exceeded the engineers’ estimate by roughly 37 percent.
Utility Director Rob Schneider told the board the engineers’ estimate for the rehabilitation was $810,000 but that the lone bid from Omera arrived at $1,111,094. He introduced design engineer Jeff Meer to summarize the background and options. "The bid did not come in the way we had hoped," Meer said, adding that staff had advertised widely — to contractors known to work in Lawrenceburg, multiple plan rooms and the legally required newspaper notice — but only one contractor submitted a bid.
Meer described three factors the board should weigh: the limited pool of comparable lift‑station projects that makes accurate estimating difficult; the contractor's means and methods, including a costly live‑bypass approach to keep flow during work; and the operational need, saying the station’s antiquated controls and components increase the risk of failure. "There is a growing risk with the antiquated controls," he said, noting some repairs had been made but that a full rehabilitation reduces overflow risk.
Board members pressed for detail on the bid. On a single 'tally' page staff identified construction at approximately $886,940, professional services near $175,000 and a $50,000 contingency — figures that together bring the package close to the contractor’s number. Members discussed options including rebidding, reducing scope, or waiting for a more competitive market window. Several members expressed reluctance to award a contract to a sole bidder without the full board present.
With some members concerned the project could be delayed further if rebid and others wanting the full board to review the single submission, the board voted to table the bid until the next regular meeting so all members could examine the documentation; staff noted the bid securities remain effective for 60 days from June 4. The motion to table carried.
