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Council presses staff for proof after $152,805 low bid for downtown sidewalk work
Summary
Public works presented a unit‑price sidewalk contract with a low bid of about $152,805 from KNE Group USA LLC and a high bid near $533,000; council members flagged the large bid spread and asked staff to provide references and photographs of completed work before proceeding.
Public works staff on July 7 asked the mayor and council to approve a one‑year unit‑price contractor list and to award a first downtown sidewalk project under that schedule. The low bidder, KNE Group USA LLC, submitted an approximate bid of $152,805 for the first project; other bids ranged as high as $533,000.
Staff said the unit‑price approach will allow the city to assign small sidewalk projects by calculated linear footage without repeating a full RFP each time, and that the first project would rebuild sidewalks and ADA ramps in the downtown core, widen a three‑foot path to five feet on North Avenue, and tie northern and southern sidewalk segments across the tracks.
Several council members raised concerns about the large variance between the low and high bids. Councilman Warmoth warned the spread could indicate underbidding and potential quality issues: "That's a significant difference, and that's where some red flags are being raised for me," he said. Councilman Conte and others asked staff to inspect references and bring photographs and examples of KNE's completed work before moving forward.
Public works staff said references checked in Union City and Fulton County reported no issues and that the contractor would be paid only for accepted quantities under the unit‑price contract. Staff agreed to return next week with photos and additional documentation of prior KNE projects for council review.
The council also noted a $278,000 Georgia DOT grant (no local match) intended for downtown sidewalk improvements; staff said other sidewalk priorities around the city remain on a separate list and will be scheduled when funding and unit pricing align.
Next steps: staff will provide examples of KNE Group's completed work, including photographs and reference contacts, at the next council meeting and the sidewalk item will not be placed on the consent agenda until council is satisfied with vetting.
