Lakeland Tables Higher Than Expected Construction Bids
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
NORTH WEBSTER – The Lakeland Regional Sewer District board tabled awarding construction bids Thursday to request additional funding. At nearly $24 million at the low end altogether, bids for construction of three segments of sewer lines and for the wastewater treatment plant came in above the total engineer’s estimate of $19 million. The board decided to postpone action on the bids, which were opened during special meetings last month, so they can request more funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The board also would like to know the impact the higher-than-expected bids will have on the monthly customer bill, according to board President Jim Haney, who said it should be calculated by the district’s rate consultant by the end of the week. Bids for section A of the sewer lines ranged from $5.9 million to $8.6 million, compared to a $5 million estimate; bids for section B were $6.1 to $7.8 million, compared to a $4.8 million estimate; and for section C were a minimum of $4.8 million, compared to an estimated $4.5 million. The lowest bid for the treatment plant was $6.1 million, above the $5.3 million estimate. Haney said district engineering consultant DLZ speculated the higher bids may be because of the unique difficulty of working near a lake, with a high water table underground. He said a few companies that submitted bids based their numbers on experience working at Coon Lake. The board may revisit the bids at a special meeting tentatively set for Jan. 22. The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. at the North Webster Community Center.
