Council awards bid on N. Sycamore St. project

     Some unsuspecting news concerning the sanitary sewer underneath a couple of blocks of N. Sycamore Street prompted some mixed feelings in moving forward with the street reconstruction project.

     During the March 18 Monticello City Council meeting, the council held a public hearing on the project plans/specs and cost estimate, but also award the contract to the lowest bidder.

     Council member Dave Goedken informed everyone that the 500 and 600 blocks of N. Sycamore have sanitary sewer that was installed during the summer of 1984. “It’s senseless to tear up a 35-year-old clay sanitary sewer,” voiced Goedken.

     The city received six bids ranging from $1.9 million and $2.6 million. The engineer’s estimate was around $2.5 million. The lowest bid at $1.9 (base bid) was Horsfield Construction, Inc.

     There were also two bid alternates. Alternate one was for additional water main work (a loop) and street patching for $16,347. Alternate two was for 13 period light fixtures from First Street to Seventh Street at a cost of $73,000.

     Gaylen Kray questioned the need for period lighting. “It seems like a costly measure and a pretty extreme cost to have the taxpayers pay for,” he said. “I don’t feel the people of Monticello are aware of how much decorative lighting costs.”

     Kray said N. Sycamore is not a new housing development that might call for period lighting. He felt it would be cheaper if the city continued to rent the current light poles from Alliant Energy.

     Council member Tom Yeoman said the LED lights within the period lighting would be a cheaper energy alternative.

     “You would have a better lit, safer neighborhood,” said Yeoman.

     In addition, the utilities supplied to the period lighting would be buried underground versus the lines running overhead.

     Goedken said once all of the trees are removed, lighting in general would be improved throughout the N. Sycamore corridor, no matter what type of light poles were in place.

     Stu Gerdes questioned the disparity between the lowest bid and the project estimate.

     City Engineer Patrick Schwickerath explained the bids were reviewed and nothing was found to be missing from Horsfield’s bid.

     “Everything is in order,” said Schwickerath.

     Gerdes then asked if the property owners’ assessments would reflect the lower bid price. Schwickerath said the unit pricing would need to be reviewed before an answer on the assessments could be given.

     “We can’t legally assess for more,” he said. “The council sets the unit price ultimately.”

     In regards to the 35-year-old sewer line, Mark Stoneking, who put the line in at the time, said the life expectancy of a clay-lined sewer is about 60 years. “One hundred years is not out of the question if it was installed correctly,” he added. “I can’t see any reason it wouldn’t last another 40 to 50 years.”

     Schwickerath said he urges the city to televise the sanitary sewer in question before any decisions are made to forego replacement. “Clay pipe is very good and erosion-resistant,” he said. “After it’s televised, we could have no reason to believe it could last as long as a new street.”

     Schwickerath said the city could save up to $120,000 if the sewer were left in place in the 500 and 600 blocks.

     He also warned the council that any changes affecting more than 20 percent of the project cost would also affect unit pricing.

     Rather than approve the N. Sycamore project and bid alternatives as one, the council took each item separately when the first motion failed 1-4, with Yeoman being the lone “yes” vote.

     The council did approve the base bid with Horsfield, which also includes televising the sewer, as well as the first bid alternative.

     However, the second alternative to approve period lighting took some time. In the end, the council approved moving forward with period lighting from First through Fourth Street only.

     Schwickerath informed the council that the city would need to work with Alliant on the remaining portion of the project because the project plans were designed for underground utilities only.

     With a pre-construction meeting set for late next week, Schwickerath said the contractor could potentially start during the first week of April, hinting that the council had some decisions to make in a quick timeframe.

In other city business:

     • In relation to the N. Sycamore Street project, the council approved an agreement with Snyder & Associates to provide project overnight on the project. The cost is approximately $206,000.

     • Since the departure of the former Public Works director as of March 1, a committee of council members and city staff conducted interviews. A decision was made to name Jim Tjaden as the city’s Water/Wastewater Superintendent, and Nick Kahler as the Public Works Director/Streets Superintendent.

     The council will consider pay increases for both positions at a later meeting.