Northport council awards Rose Street culvert contract to Walton, adds sidewalk work

The Northport Village Council on June 18 approved awarding the Rose Street culvert replacement to Walton Contracting and added Schedule B work to extend sidewalk and curb‑ramp connections.

Consultant engineer Pat Machin told the council Walton’s lower bid reflected a supplier the contractor located in Indiana and that the precast culverts are MDOT‑prequalified and designed for highway loads. Trustees raised questions about the apparent cost differences with another bidder (Elmer’s) and whether a late bid should be accepted; the council accepted Walton’s late but lower bid given the project circumstances and the need to proceed.

Trustees also asked about start timing and were told Walton could begin after Labor Day. Council members approved including both Schedule A (culvert replacement) and Schedule B (sidewalk/curb ramp improvements to connect sidewalks between Second and Third on Rose) so site work could be coordinated while the contractor is on site.

Procedure and oversight: the motion to approve Walton’s estimate (including Schedules A and B) was made by Trustee Laura and supported by Trustee Joe; staff confirmed the bid matched expectations from engineering and recommended approval. Council completed a roll‑call vote to authorize the manager to execute the contract and associated work items.

What’s not specified: the precise contract dollar shown in the meeting audio is inconsistent in the transcript. Trustees discussed an engineer estimate and multiple bid numbers in the meeting record; staff and the engineering consultant confirmed confidence that Walton’s approach and pricing were appropriate for the scope and that differences were primarily due to supplier sourcing and line‑item assumptions.