Contractors allege unequal access and rule changes; council rejects seal‑coat bids and orders rebid

Contractors told the council they encountered irregularities during the seal‑coat procurement and urged corrective action. Billy Bennett of Bennett Paving (speaker 21) said bidders were given unequal site access during the first solicitation, that a non‑existent "SealMaster certification" requirement initially barred participation, and that the rebid introduced subjective evaluation weights (40% experience, 30% approach/staffing, 20% price) that reduced the role of price and could favor an incumbent contractor. Mason Callahan (speaker 26) from Pack Saddle raised similar concerns about references and the evaluation process.

Staff and the public works director acknowledged the concerns and pointed to wording discrepancies (for example, a 2‑inch vs. 3‑inch repair depth ambiguity) and the need for consistent site access and performance/bonding requirements. City staff recommended rejecting all bids and rebidding to ensure fair competition; Council voted to reject the bids, direct staff to produce clear quantities, equal site access for bidders, and to reissue the solicitation with consistent evaluation criteria and bonding/performance provisions.

Council also asked staff to review longstanding procurement practices for small repairs. Staff said the review had already begun and that future solicitations would include clearer unit quantities, required bonds and explicit reference‑check procedures.