By Nate Smith
Washington Times-Herald
WASHINGTON —
City leaders hoped that bids for the upcoming sewer project would be well under the estimated $24 million price tag.
They weren’t. Bids opened at Monday’s special City Council meeting ranged close to the $24 million specifications.
Four bidders vied for the contract, two from Indianapolis, one from Evansville and one from Orleans.
In a room filled with contractors and engineers, the council sent the bids to the Board of Public Works and Safety, who then immediately tabled them.
Mayor Larry Haag said the bids could be awarded at the council’s meeting May 10. Haag said he was not disappointed when the bids came close, even over, the engineer’s estimate of $23.8 million.
“They are right in there where the engineer’s estimate was,” Haag said. “When you bid these, you hope you are right in that neighborhood.”
Out of the seven companies that inquired, Haag said after the meeting, the four that submitted bids were Reynolds Inc., from Orleans, Deig Bros from Evansville and Wilhelm Construction and Bowen Engineering, both from Indianapolis.
On the base bids alone, Bowen was the lowest with a bid of $23.86 million. Reynolds was next at $24.20 million, Wilhelm bid $24.27 million and Deig bid $24.87 million.
The plans are to build a large retention basin near the wastewater treatment plant and a constructed wetland. Those two items would then handle any excess runoff from storms. Currently, any excess water the stormwater system cannot handle runs untreated into the White River.
All bidders submitted two mandatory alternates to the base bid. The alternates were to open the retention basin instead of the original plan to close the basin. The second alternate is to increase the size of a main pipe.
If the council chooses to leave the basin open instead of closing, they could save up to $1 million in construction costs. Wastewater Superintendent Scott Rainey said he would provide council members with information. City Engineer Ed Barnett said he visited an open retention basin in Lafayette.
Barnett said the basin was smaller than the one planned in Washington, but city workers in Lafayette said there was no problems with smell.
Although none of the contractors were local, Haag said there is the possibility that local labor could be used for the project.
“That may be within the protocol of the bid documents,” Haag said. “I know they have made phone calls, but where those prices came in I don’t know. I know that it is an option.”
The project is mandated by the state Department of Environmental Management and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. To pay for the upgrades, the city received $9 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds and will borrow $15 million from the state Revolving Loan Fund.
Haag said the city has almost finished closing the bond process. Public Works member John Gray was not at Monday’s meeting.
