Council told contractor recommended for North Beach flower‑box replacement; award to be considered next week

Town public works staff presented the flower box replacement project and said the procurement was rebid after the first low bidder withdrew and the second could not secure bonding; staff recommended the third qualified bidder and plans to bring an award recommendation to the council at next week’s regular meeting.

Donnie Bowen, the town’s director of public works, told council the project is within the $200,000 CIP allocation and that the recommended bidder’s price is about $178,000–$180,000. Bowen said contractor lead times for materials are roughly five weeks, materials may be staged and stored near the beach until its opening and dumpsters will be used on Bay Avenue to remove old materials.

Bowen outlined the construction plan: starting at 7th Street and working south toward 1st Street, focusing on the main area before Memorial Day, and pausing if summer congestion made work impractical. He said the project team will inspect and address wiring and sprinkler systems while beds are open and work closely with the contractor to minimize disruptions. Bowen also said the contractor is local and the town prefers to hire local firms when possible.

The mayor and staff confirmed the project will include some pedestrian‑cut closures to encourage use of marked crosswalks and reduce near misses on Bay Avenue. Council members asked about addressing nearby storm drains and the public works director said crews will look at those issues as part of the work and raise separate repairs as needed.

The council will consider the formal award recommendation at the next regular council meeting; there were no formal votes on the project during the work session.