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Ely council picks Basin Engineering for EPA sewer upgrade after public objections over process and firm ties
Summary
After public objections that the mayor’s past employment with a competing firm could create a conflict, Ely City Council interviewed both proposers and selected Basin Engineering to design the EPA-funded Central Ely sewer upgrade; the decision was based solely on interview scores reported by staff.
The Ely City Council voted Dec. 12 to award the consulting contract for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-funded Central Ely Sewer Upgrade (Project #97T10501) to Basin Engineering after interviewing two finalists and basing its decision exclusively on averaged interview scores.
The selection followed substantial public comment urging the Council to delay the decision and reconstitute the evaluation team. Resident Dale Derbidge told the Council the item should be tabled because, he said, federal regulations and past practice meant the Municipal Utility Board should have reviewed the proposal. “The Mayor is an elected official; he's not a staff of the City,” Derbidge said, and “the Mayor has been employed by Day Engineering and should have disqualified himself,” asking the Council to reselect the evaluation team.
Former council member and Professional Engineer Marty Westland recounted defects tied to the 2011 Parker Avenue water project and said Dean Day of Day Engineering had admitted errors in project management at that time. “Mr. Day admitted that he had made several errors,” Westland said, describing rework the city later had to perform after state inspectors raised concerns. Westland urged a neutral technical review of firms competing for the EPA-funded work.
City staff described a federally prescribed selection process. City Attorney Shain Manuele and City Clerk Jennifer Lee explained that statements of qualifications had been scored by a technical review committee (Public Works Director, City Treasurer, City Clerk and Mayor), that the firms’ scores were within a threshold that triggered public interviews, and that the Council would select the consultant based solely on the average of the interview scores.
Basin Engineering principal B.J. Almberg told the Council Basin had done phases one and two of the Central Ely upgrades, had conducted required EPA training and environmental work for the file, and said continuity would reduce schedule risk. Dean Day, representing Day Engineering, described his firm’s statewide water and wastewater experience and said Day routinely assembles multidisciplinary teams for projects.
City Treasurer Janette Trask reported averaged interview totals: Basin Engineering 82.8 and Day Engineering 68.5. Council voted unanimously to award the contract to Basin Engineering.
The council action closed a contentious public exchange in which residents questioned process transparency and whether historical construction problems involving one proposer should factor into the selection. Mayor Nathan Robertson acknowledged his prior employment by Day Engineering in the record, saying he does not currently work for the firm and that both proposers are licensed to operate in Nevada. The selection was made in open session and the Mayor said the federal grantor’s prescribed evaluation method governed the process.
Next steps include contract finalization and design work for the Central Ely sewer upgrade under the terms of the EPA grant. The Council did not vote to delay the item.
