Sulphur Springs City Council during a 13 minute meeting, conducted via Zoom and streamed on YouTube, approved materials bids for Saputo sewer main expansion grant project and selected a group to provide grant administrative services to work with the city in preparing a grant application to be submitted in the spring seeking a community development fund grant.
Sewer Main Expansion
This $750,000 sewer project is a capital improvement project funded entirely by a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture. The new main will supplement an older undersized main. The path of the new main begins at Saputo and continues under the interstate. It then continues south for 3,500 feet before connecting to an existing trunk line. The new main has a 15-inch inch diameter, Sulphur Springs City Manger Marc Maxwell explained during his manager’s report at the Jan. 5 council meeting.
City Finance Director Lesa Smith noted there will be no out-of-pocket expenses for the City of Sulphur Springs for this capital construction project. The Community Development Block Grant grant is made possible because of a $50 million plant upgrade at Saputo and their cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture. Labor and equipment costs will be reimbursed to the city as part of the grant.
Smith explained that city staff sent out notices seeking bids for five types of materials for the sewer line project in December. Eight companies submitted bids, which were opened on Tuesday. A special City Council meeting was conducted at 11 a.m. Jan. 21 to select materials bids so the project can get under way.
The City Council approved a total of $199,512.39 for materials needed to complete the sewer line project.
Four companies submitted bids for manhole covers: APSCO, Ferguson, Coburn’s and DIGG. The low bid of $15,242 from APSCO was recommended by city staff and approved by the council.
APSCO, Ferguson, Core & Main, Coburn’s and DIGG submitted bids for sewer line. Coburn’s low bid of $81,687.39 was recommended by city staff and approved by the City Council.
Three companies submitted bids for rebar: APSCO, DIGG and H&K Materials. The low bid of $2,775 submitted by H&K Materials was recommended by city staff and approved by the council
DIGG and Bell Concrete submitted bids to provide concrete for the sewer main grant project. The City Council approved the low bid of $20,516 submitted by Bell Concrete, as recommended by city staff.
The City Council approved the low bid of $79,292 submitted by RK Hall for bedding. Bell Concrete and DIGG also submitted bids.
Grant Application
City staff sent out requests to prequalified firms for professionals services and received two proposals, one from GrantWorks and another from KSBR, LLC, to provide grant administrative services for a Texas Community Development Block Grant Community Development Fund Project application to be submitted by the May 3, 2021 deadline.
An evaluation committee consisting of the Mayor pro tem Freddie Taylor and City Manager Marc Maxwell, Finance Director Lesa Smith and Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski ranked the proposals on Jan. 20 based on four criteria: experience, prior work performance, capacity to perform and proposed cost. Based on those evaluations, the committee recommended and City Council approved KSBR, LLC, as grant consultant for the grant application preparation and contract implementation services, provided the firm can match the lowest bid proposal.
The objective of the TxCDBG Community Development Fund program is to develop viable communities by providing decent housing and suitable living environments, and expanding economic opportunities principally for people of low to modest income. Most funds are used for public utilities such as water and wastewater infrastructure, street and drainage improvements and housing activities.
Niewiadomski explained that the city is considering three potential grant projects, which will be further discussed and budgets for each presented to KSBR, LLC. All three potential grant projects, the community development director explained, are for the upgrade of sewer, water and street/drainage. Locations for potential projects are:
- Randolph Street from JD Franklin Drive to Lamar Street,
- Mulberry Street from Van Sickle Street to Woodlawn Street, and
- Easy Street/Atkins Street from Van Sickle to Rogers Street.
The top recommendation for the city’s next capital construction grant project is then expected to be presented to the City Council in April for approval of the grant application.
The maximum award amount that can be attained from TxCDBG is $350,000, which will require a 20 percent local match if the city’s application is approved for funding. The city will also pay $31,900 for administrative services if they are awarded the grant.
