Committee approves bid waiver for Quartek to inspect Holmberg water tank, caps waiver at $7,500

The Ledyard Finance Committee on July 1 approved a bid waiver allowing Quartek Inc. to perform an inspection of the underground Holmberg drinking‑water surge tank, amending the motion to limit the waiver to $7,500.

Committee member (S4) moved to grant a waiver after the town received fewer than three bids for the specialized inspection. "Quartek was the only bidder," S6 said during discussion, and members explained the work requires niche skills — including diving into underground water tanks to take paint samples.

WPCA representative (S5) described efforts to solicit three quotes and said other firms did not respond; he noted that sample costs are uncertain and that one alternate quote from CoreTech could exceed $5,000 depending on how many paint samples are required. "They're looking for a company that scuba dives into underground water tanks," S5 said, underscoring the specialty nature of the work.

Committee members debated whether to authorize "up to $5,000" versus a higher ceiling to avoid being constrained if additional samples were needed. Chair (S1) proposed increasing the cap, and a friendly amendment set the waiver limit at $7,500. The motion, moved by Committee member (S4) and seconded by Committee member (S2), passed on a voice vote.

The waiver permits the town to hire Quartek without a full competitive solicitation because three bids were not obtained; staff said Groton Utilities coordinates some of this work and had assisted with the procurement. The committee did not specify additional contract details beyond the approved waiver cap and authorized staff to proceed to contract negotiations and scheduling.