Hyde Park board finds low bidder in default, awards Hackett Hill pool contract to second bidder

The Town of Hyde Park on Friday declared the low bidder for the Hackett Hill Park Pool rehabilitation project in default and awarded the contract to the second-lowest responsible bidder, the board said at a special meeting called June 26.

Beth Culp, a Hyde Park resident who identified herself at the meeting, urged the board to postpone action until all four board members could attend, arguing that "the town has a right to know the input of all 4 of our board members" and noting the meeting occurred during working hours when some elected members were at their jobs. The resident also said the town was preparing to approve "almost $900,000" in spending and questioned whether the pace of the decision allowed adequate public input.

The supervisor and the clerk responded that absent board members had been notified and that the spending at issue is a grant the board previously authorized. The supervisor said the town needed to act quickly because project lead-time items such as pumps and other equipment must be ordered before August and because delaying into September would make the work harder to complete on schedule.

Clerk-read Resolution 6-26-1 (2026) declares USA Construction LLC in default on Contract 1, Hackett Hill Park Pool Rehabilitation, citing failure to provide required post-award documents (performance/payment bonds, workers' compensation, general liability, automobile liability, umbrella and builder's risk coverage) and alleged efforts by the bidder to solicit other contractors to perform the work. The resolution awards the contract to Aquatic Dynamics Inc. as the next lowest responsible bidder, subject to that firm's compliance with post-bid requirements.

At the meeting, the clerk conducted a roll-call vote. The board recorded three ayes and declared the motion carried; two members were noted as absent. The board indicated it may pursue remedies against the defaulted bidder, including calling the bid bond, but said that decision would come later.

The board and its engineers, identified in discussion as MJ Engineering, said they have extended time for post-bid compliance previously and that Aquatic Dynamics must still provide the required bonds and insurance before starting work. The supervisor said the town remains within its grant budget and does not expect the change to require additional taxpayer funding.

Next steps: Aquatic Dynamics must complete post-bid submittals and be certified by the town clerk before mobilizing; the board said work must start sufficiently before pool-season deadlines to allow ordered equipment to arrive and to avoid further delay.

Authorities referenced in the meeting included "Resolution 6-26-1 (2026)," the Contract 1 award language read by the clerk, and contractual post-bid requirements specified during the discussion.