ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Director of Public Works with a Request to ACCEPT the LOW BID of STARK EXCAVATING, INC and Award a Construction CONTRACT from the Base Bid of $75,900.00 with an Additional Authorization in Contingency of $7,590.00 (10%) and $1,500.00 for DBE participation, for a Total Award Amount of $84,990.00, for the PROSPECT ROAD/HUMBOLDT AVENUE RETAINING WALL REPAIRS PROJECT. (Council District 3)
Body
BACKGROUND: Since 2009, the Prospect Humboldt retaining wall has been monitored periodically by a structural engineer, with the engineer recommending that repairs be made. This project will address the structural concerns with the retaining wall. It is more cost effective to make the repairs now than to wait for the wall to fail completely and require complete reconstruction. The major types of work for this project include wall modifications, miscellaneous drainage items, embankment, and riprap.
The Prospect Road/Humboldt Avenue Retaining Wall Project was advertised, and bids were opened on February 6, 2020 with two (2) bidders submitting. The bids received are as follows:
|
Contractor |
Base Bid |
MBE Subcontractor % |
WBE Subcontractor % |
|
Stark Excavating, Inc |
$75,900.00 |
2% |
0% |
|
Illinois Civil Contractors, Inc. |
$86,079.00 |
4.3% |
5% |
|
|
|
Goal |
Goal |
|
Engineer's Estimate |
$61,311.00 |
10% |
5% |
This project has a limited scope, which means there are only a few opportunities to use subcontractors. Stark’s bid included non-MBE/WBE subcontractors for saw cutting, layout and seeding which equated to 7.2% of the project cost. Public Works staff and the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer reviewed the Good Faith Efforts documentation submitted by Stark Excavating Inc. and set up a meeting with Stark to discuss. Stark included with their bid a table of the subcontractors they contacted - see attached. The scopes of work the subcontractors Stark contacted were: ADS pipe supply, casting and supply, construction layout, erosion control, landscaping, precast box culverts, precast manhole and inlet supply, RCP supply, tree and shrub removal and other areas of work.
Stark will use a DBE subcontractor for aggregate hauling and hourly trucking to reach 2% MBW participation. The total will be approximately $1,500.00. The MBE subcontractors that submitted bids were not used in Stark’s bid since they were not the low bidder for that scope of work. Increasing the cost and using the MBE/WBE subcontractors still would not meet the subcontracting goals of 10% MBE and 5% WBE. Due to the project size and limited scope of work, Stark is unable to meet the MBE/WBE goals.
Stark Excavating Inc. is a local business that has successfully performed work for the City in the past. They will make a good faith effort to reach the 18% minority utilization and 3% female utilization in hours worked on the project.
The second bidder, Illinois Civil Contractors Inc., is $10,179 (11.8%) higher than the low bidder’s base bid. Due to the increased cost between the two bidders and as responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, Public Works and the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer recommend awarding this contract to Stark Excavating.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: This construction project was included in the 2019 CIP and will be funded with stormwater utility funds from project number O1902.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: Infrastructure in good condition is an asset to the neighborhood.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The retaining wall will be repaired.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The retaining wall will not be repaired.
ALTERNATIVES: N/A
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: 02373-200630
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2017 - 2032 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Financially Sound City
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Invest in our infrastructure and transportation.
2. Reinvest in neighborhoods.
3. Have an efficient government.
DEPARTMENT: Public Works