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Queenstown officials weigh cutting scope of water project after bids exceed engineer estimates
Summary
Engineering consultants told the Queenstown Commissioners that bids for the town's Water Infrastructure Project are substantially higher than recent engineer estimates, prompting discussion of scaling back the project, asking Wheatlands developers to cover their share, and consulting USDA about allowable scope changes.
Queenstown Commissioners reviewed unexpectedly high bids for a planned water infrastructure project, and commissioners asked town staff and the project engineers to seek options that could reduce town costs.
At an Aug. 4 work session, engineering consultants Bob Rauch and James Cook of Rauch Inc. told the commission that the lowest bid, from Lindstrom Excavating, was listed at $8,290,530, substantially above the consultants' latest engineer estimate of $5,902,435. The consultants identified escalating costs for the water-tower portion of the work as a major driver of the increase and reported that restoration of the existing Wall Street tower rose from an earlier estimate of $135,000 to $800,000 after lead‑paint remediation needs were found. The consultants presented a cost breakdown that the minutes list as 53,297,590 for improvements supporting the old town exclusively, $3,899,700 supporting Wheatlands exclusively, and $371,000 supporting both; the first figure in the minutes appears to contain a transcription/formatting error and the town said it will confirm the exact amounts.
President Al Hardee and the commissioners discussed options for reducing the town's exposure to the higher bids. Rauch suggested asking Wheatlands developers to accept responsibility for work that supports that development exclusively and to provide cost estimates for their portion. Barry Waterman and a Wheatlands developer told the commission they would help gather estimates for the developer share. Town Attorney Lyndsey Ryan and engineer James Cook were directed to begin talks with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine whether a reduced project scope would still qualify under the town's existing USDA funding or whether the town would need to resubmit a separate application.
Commissioners said they want the project done as soon as possible to address residents' reports of discolored water and low pressure, while acknowledging that costs continue to rise. The commission took no formal vote on project scope at the session; the next step is for Ryan and Cook to consult with USDA and for developer cost‑share estimates to be provided to the town.
The work session minutes note the town's interest in preserving the project's fireflow and capacity priorities and that, if USDA will not allow a scope reduction under the existing funding approval, the town could consider submitting a reduced‑scope project as a new funding application at a later date.
