Proposal for $439,920 Ninth Street pump station stalls after council debate on costs

Council members reviewed bids for the Ninth Street pump-station project (bid B25-02), which the city manager presented as the low responsible bid from Kaminga and Woods Inc. at $439,920.80 including contingency; an original engineer estimate was about $660,000.

Residents testified in favor of the pump to reduce nuisance flooding and protect property; one resident said the pump would "keep access to the park during those events and get the water off the street." Council Member Frank Baker challenged the project's scale and engineering approach, urging smaller, cheaper pumps and questioning past engineering decisions: "We are buying a Cadillac when we need a Ford," Baker said, arguing directional boring and smaller pumps could address nuisance flooding at a fraction of the cost. Vice Mayor Lloyd Roberts said he declined to support the project because the expense did not meet his threshold for how often it would be effective. A motion to award the contract, made by Council Member Anders Wellings, failed for lack of a second and the item was not approved.

Council members expressed divergent views on priorities and on whether the proposed pump would resolve frequent nuisance flooding or only help in specific tidal/flow conditions. The debate highlighted a split between members who favor a demonstration pilot and those who prefer exploring lower-cost, targeted alternatives or completing check-valve installations first.