BREAKING NEWS: IBTS Is Low Bidder for City Services Contract

CENTRAL — When Mayor Mac Watts’ Committee on City Services opened proposals for a new master privatization agreement for the City  of Central this afternoon at the Central Fire Station on Sullivan Road, there was something of a surprise: CH2MHILL, the existing contractor, was not the low bidder.

In fact, it wasn’t even close.

IBTS

IBTS, the Institute for Building Technology and Safety, had the low bid, and it was about $400,000 lower than the three other bidders.  IBTS bid as follows:

Year 1 – $3,027,000

Year 2 – $3,129,663

Year 3 – $3,234,533

Year 4 – $3,342,549

Year 5 – $3,453,805

The company’s bid on change orders above and beyond the contracted services was as follows:

Drainage – $20,000 a mile

Excavation – $15,000 a mile

Additional labor – $156/hour

After hours and emergency – $351/hour

IBTS is a non-profit organization affiliated with the National Governors Association.  Its literature says it works to improve building regulatory and administative services for states and localities.

Other bidders were higher.  They were:

CSRS

The bid of CSRS was as follows:

Year 1 – $3,500,000

Year 2 – $3,550,000

Year 3 – $3,600,000

Year 4 – $3,650,000

Year 5 – $3,700,000

Drainage – $29,700 a mile

Excavations – $18,700 a mile

Labor – $198/hour

Emergency Labor – $282/hour

CH2MHILL

The bid of CH2MHILL was as follows:

Year 1 – $3,538,293

Year 2 – $3,655,057

Year 3 – $3,775,674

Year 4 – $3,900,271

Year 5 – $4,028,980

Drainage – $98,880 a mile

Excavation $543,840 a mile

Additional labor – $349/hour

Emergency labor – $400/hour

The bid amounts by CH2MHILL for additional drainage and excavation work seemed extraordinarily high, but Committee Chairman Wayne Leader verified that they were correct.

Severn Trent

The bid of Severn Trent was as follows:

Year 1 – $3,537,908

Year 2 – $3,598,007

Year 3 – $3,724,002

Year 4 – $3,854,343

Year 5 – $3,989,245

Drainage – $2,475 a mile

Excavation – $1,050 a mile

Labor – $165 an hour

Emergency labor – $265 an hour

Committee chairman Wayne Leader said the committee will meet again on May 11-12 to rank the bidders and will interview the bidders on May 16-17.

He admonished the nine committee members not to discuss the proposals with one another or with the bidders.

He said the committee plans to meet on May 19 to make a final recommendation to the Mayor and report to the City Council at a Council meeting that evening.