Council delays award for Medical Complex grading after large bid spread and contractor concerns

The Sunland Park City Council postponed action on the grading and drainage contract for the Sunland Park Medical Complex, citing a large disparity among bids and councilors’ concerns about the apparent low bidder’s past performance.

City staff explained the project had a Southwest Border Commission grant combined with local matching funds (transcript: $1,000,000 in federal funds and $800,000 local pledge) and that bids, opened June 23, ranged from roughly $665,715 to about $1.27 million. The apparent low bidder was identified in the bid tabulation; staff said the design engineer reviewed the bid items and contacted the low bidder to verify there were no missing bid items or imbalances.

Councilor Jaramillo raised repeated concerns about contractor '9 degrees' and said he had seen multiple local projects he considers defective and that he would prefer trying a different firm even if it costs more. He said: "I would rather pay a higher bidder for better quality of work so that we end up with real quality work." City staff explained procurement law favors the lowest responsible and responsive bidder but acknowledged alternative procurement vehicles exist for best-value selection. Staff recommended additional review and offered to meet with the contractor and provide a side-by-side analysis of bid items for council review.

After discussion the council voted to postpone the award to the August 18 council meeting to allow staff time to gather additional documentation, meet with the contractor and report back.