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Tuesday, the Omaha City Council delayed a vote on the up to $411 million expansion of the Papillion Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility. Councilmembers said there will be an amendment proposed.The city provides sewer services and collects sewer fees for much of the metro area, including outside Omaha. Omaha has been planning to upgrade the facility along the Missouri River for years.”It is critical to get that current infrastructure offline, and new infrastructure online,” Assistant Public Works Director Jim Theiler told city council last week.McCarthy Building Companies was chosen for the agreement already in place and is the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) contractor.Councilmembers unanimously agreed to delay the vote on Tuesday. Last week, they peppered city officials with questions on the project. Hawkins Construction and the Platte Institute also raised red flags last week.Councilmembers said Tuesday there will be an amendment proposed.”I think it’s prudent to lay this over,” City Council President Danny Begley said. Hawkins Construction said they could complete the same work for more than $75 million less than proposed. “We know. Hawkins has built the vast majority of wastewater treatment plant work in this city since 1960,” Chris Hawkins told KETV last week. Hawkins submitted an unsolicited bid last December. Theiler stated there was no legal basis to consider it. Theiler told KETV in a statement in advance of last Tuesday’s meeting: “No one from the Public Works Department has spoken to Hawkins about their unsolicited proposal, except to inform that the proposal lacked a legal basis, so we have no reason or ability to consider any part of it. The City has prepared and provided information to the elected officials regarding the legal process followed during the selection of our CMAR contractor, and the transparency and oversight in developing the Guaranteed Maximum Price.”Councilmembers said they were most concerned they were being asked to remove a requirement that the contractor put other work out for bids. Hawkins Construction did bid for the original agreement, Hawkins said, but did not complain until they were not given a chance to participate in subcontractor work.”There’s specific language that requires bidding. Now we’re being asked to remove it. I mean, it’s that simple,” Councilmember Aimee Melton said last week.The council is set to reconsider the proposal on April 7. Councilmembers said it would have been sooner, but schedule conflicts prevented that.Details on the proposed changes have yet to be officially presented. “The sooner we can get that, the better,” Council Vice President Brinker Harding said.
Tuesday, the Omaha City Council delayed a vote on the up to $411 million expansion of the Papillion Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility. Councilmembers said there will be an amendment proposed.
The city provides sewer services and collects sewer fees for much of the metro area, including outside Omaha. Omaha has been planning to upgrade the facility along the Missouri River for years.
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“It is critical to get that current infrastructure offline, and new infrastructure online,” Assistant Public Works Director Jim Theiler told city council last week.
McCarthy Building Companies was chosen for the agreement already in place and is the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) contractor.
Councilmembers unanimously agreed to delay the vote on Tuesday. Last week, they peppered city officials with questions on the project. Hawkins Construction and the Platte Institute also raised red flags last week.
Councilmembers said Tuesday there will be an amendment proposed.
“I think it’s prudent to lay this over,” City Council President Danny Begley said.
Hawkins Construction said they could complete the same work for more than $75 million less than proposed.
“We know. Hawkins has built the vast majority of wastewater treatment plant work in this city since 1960,” Chris Hawkins told KETV last week.
Hawkins submitted an unsolicited bid last December. Theiler stated there was no legal basis to consider it.
Theiler told KETV in a statement in advance of last Tuesday’s meeting: “No one from the Public Works Department has spoken to Hawkins about their unsolicited proposal, except to inform that the proposal lacked a legal basis, so we have no reason or ability to consider any part of it. The City has prepared and provided information to the elected officials regarding the legal process followed during the selection of our CMAR contractor, and the transparency and oversight in developing the Guaranteed Maximum Price.”
Councilmembers said they were most concerned they were being asked to remove a requirement that the contractor put other work out for bids. Hawkins Construction did bid for the original agreement, Hawkins said, but did not complain until they were not given a chance to participate in subcontractor work.
“There’s specific language that requires bidding. Now we’re being asked to remove it. I mean, it’s that simple,” Councilmember Aimee Melton said last week.
The council is set to reconsider the proposal on April 7. Councilmembers said it would have been sooner, but schedule conflicts prevented that.
Details on the proposed changes have yet to be officially presented.
“The sooner we can get that, the better,” Council Vice President Brinker Harding said.
