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Pine City delays dredging award after receiving bids from $11,600 to $123,000; council asks staff to check references
Summary
City staff reported a large discrepancy between an original low dredging bid ($11,600) and a new bid from Midwest Amphibious Equipment ($123,000). Councilors asked staff to verify the bidders' equipment and references and agreed to return the item for a formal award after the procurement period closes.
Pine City — The council deferred awarding a dredging contract after staff reported a wide gap between the original bid and a newly submitted offer, prompting questions about bidder capacity and the procurement motion’s quality standard.
Staff told council that when the project solicitation closed a new bid from Midwest Amphibious Equipment arrived at $123,000, while the earlier proposal on file was $11,600. Council members said the original motion directed staff to advertise for seven days and to avoid awarding work to operators lacking adequate equipment; now that at least two bidders appear to meet the advertised equipment standard, councilors asked staff to check references, verify the floating excavator equipment claimed by bidders, and present a recommendation at the next meeting.
Councilors discussed whether the procurement motion as written allowed the city to accept the lowest responsive bid or to weigh "best quality" when multiple bids exist. Staff proposed contacting bidder references and documenting equipment suitability; the council agreed to have the item returned for decision at the next meeting rather than make a rushed award tonight.
What comes next: staff will contact the bidders’ references, verify equipment capability for the dredging scope (including confirming floating excavator availability), and bring the information and any additional bids to the next council meeting for a final procurement decision.
