Bids come in at $200K higher than anticipated
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
George Street, the seemingly unassuming residential corridor near Whitewater’s Armory building, has generated a significant amount of discussion in recent months as officials have reviewed plans to reconstruct roadway and install infrastructure.
The city’s plans, which were met with jeers by a group of impacted residents, spurred a discussion and policy change about special assessments. The scope of work specific to George Street also has been pared down.
Last week, the oft-discussed, storied capital project was met with yet another wrinkle: After soliciting bids from two prospective contractors, city officials learned the project was going to cost at least $200,000 more than anticipated.
In last year’s budget deliberations, the council earmarked $1.36 million toward the George Street work. The city’s lowest bidder, Burlington-based Reesman’s Excavating and Grading, provided a $1.59 million quote.
Because of the significant overage, the Common Council on June 2 decided to scrap the George Street plans this year and revisit the project early next year.
Assistant City Manager Chris McDonell attributed several factors to the higher-than-anticipated costs.
“Possible reasons for this discrepancy include the project was bid relatively late in the construction season,” McDonell wrote in a memo. “The project has tight constraints and limited access, which will slow down the speed of work.”
At last week’s meeting, McDonell said a pivotal step in the planning process — obtaining a permit from the state Department of Natural Resources for a wetland permit — caused for the delay in seeking bidders.
City Manager Cameron Clapper echoed many of McDonell’s comments during last week’s deliberations.
“We’ve come a long way on this project,” Clapper said. “We really wanted to make this work this year.”
By delaying the project a year, officials are hoping for a more competitive bidding process. Based on a revised plan adopted by the council, city staffers will seek a fresh batch of bids at the beginning of 2016.
The goal, McDonell and Clapper said, is to have a larger pool of prospective bidders and a competitive process that works more so in the city’s favor.
“Whether it will be a lower price (from the bids received recently), no one can say,” McDonell said to the council.
McDonell said several maneuvers — including obtaining the DNR permit this year — were not a waste of resources. The permit has a three-year life span, meaning it can be applied next year when city officials plan to tackle the work.
Citing the deteriorating conditions of the roadway along George Street, council member Stephanie Abbott said she would like the project to remain a high priority.
“I think we will have to budget for more next year,” Abbott said. “It seems unlikely it will go down a significant amount.”
As part of the amended plan adopted by the council, the city is pushing ahead with a plan to reconstruct portions of Pleasant Street. Although a separate project, work along Pleasant Street was bid in tandem with the George Street work.
City officials plan on seeking a fresh set of quotes for the Pleasant Street work as a solo project this year.
