Weiss Construction Nets More Than $59 Million in New Contracts, Change Order Work with DWSD

Weiss Construction Co., LLC (Detroit) was awarded two contracts, and a change order  totaling more than $59 million. These contracts were approved by the Board of Water Commissioners earlier this afternoon at its regularly scheduled meeting. 

• PC-783 (U/G Electrical Ductbank Repair) . . . $27,620,000
• PC-787 (Replacement of Belt Filter Presses) . . .  $30,216,000

But wait, there's more . . . 

Weiss Construction also received approval for a not-to-exceed (NTE) $1.25 million change order to Contract PC-776 ("RAS Pumps, Influent Mixed Liquor System and MCC Improvement for Secondary Clarifiers"). Based on questions by the Board and answers by Assistant Director Sam Smalley and Deputy Director Darryl Latimer, this change order is to replenish a provisional allowance that was spent by DWSD on other, unrelated contracts for sudden, unexpected needs.   

In other contract news:

• The Board removed from the Agenda a proposed $14,650,467 contract for Detroit Radio Team for design-build services related to DWS-882, “SCADA Radio Network Upgrades.” Detroit Radio Team is a joint venture between Motor City Electric and PCI. The Chair did not explain why this contract was removed from the Agenda.  
• The Board also removed from the Agenda a $500,000 legal services contract (LS-1530) for Miller Canfield. Again, no explanation.
• The Board did approve a $298,386 increase, and a 24 month extension for Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM) for Contract CS-1364 ("Oakwood CSO Control Facility and Pump Station").
• The Board also approved a $5,724,850 design/build contract with Detroit Electrical Services, LLC for Contract No. DWS-881 ("Data Center Reliability/Availability Improvements") 
• Regarding the Biosolids contract (PC-781), the Director indicated during her oral report that DWSD is going to cancel this RFP. The Department plans to host a symposium in Detroit and will discuss various ideas/technologies with experts and then come out with a more comprehensive and well-defined RFP.  The Director encouraged Board members to participate in the symposium (either through committees or assignment or personally). Stay tuned for more details (when and where) 

For more about DWSD Update, click here.


Clarification (2/23): Several of you wrote me asking whether I was suggesting that the contracts awarded to Weiss Construction were excessive or unnecessary (ie., "pork").  No, that's not the case.  I was in the BFP Complex II a couple of years ago, and can attest first hand to the need for new belt filter presses. The picture of bacon was a reference to "bringing home the bacon" and intended to be congratulatory.   


Photo credit (here)

Detroit Water Board Adopts Suspension and Debarment Policy, Clarifies Earlier Actions (UPDATED)

The Detroit Board of Water Commissioners today approved a resolution rescinding ab initio the suspension resolution it adopted on December 21, 2011 and amended its January 11, 2012 resolution, which lifted suspensions as to 5 contractors, to cover all contractors originally suspended on December 21, 2011. The Board then took up and adopted a formal Suspension and Debarment Policy.

DWSD's new Suspension and Debarment Policy starts by declaring that the Department will only do business with responsible vendors (contractors). The policy then spells out the criteria for determining who is a responsible contractor and establishes notice and hearing procedures (due process) for the Water Board to follow before it suspends or debars a contractor.

The new Suspension and Debarment Policy(*) addresses criticism of the Board's earlier actions, which suspended contractors without prior notice and without providing the affected contractors with an opportunity to review and respond to charges against them. (Comment: These are due process requirements that should have been followed in the first instance. The Board took the right steps today by stopping, backing up, and putting things in the right order.)  

With the new policy in hand, Chairperson James Fausone announced: (1) that the Board would conduct "Responsible Bidder Hearings" for (some of) the previously suspended contractors (I'll update this post when I confirm the exact list of names), (2) that the Ad Hoc Hearing Committee would consist of Commissioners Thrower, Kenoyer and Williams), and (3) that "Responsible Bidder Hearings" would be conducted on the following dates: 

• Friday, February 10, 2012 (p.m.)
• Wednesday, February 15, 2012 (a.m.)

Hearings will be subject to the Open Meetings Act.

Then, there will be a Special Water Board Meeting on February 15, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. to consider the Hearing Committee's findings and recommendations. Some of the same contractors named in the previous resolutions could find themselves suspended again.

Due perhaps to the planned consideration and adoption of the Suspension and Debarment Policy(**), the Chairperson announced at the start of today's Board Meeting that resolutions to approve 3 design-build and construction contracts were being pulled from the Agenda -- PC-787 (Belt Filter Presses), PC-783 (Underground Electrical Ductbank Repair), and DWS-862A (Department-Wide Security Upgrades).  

The Board did approve a contract with Metco Services for CS-1498 (Aeration System Improvements) and a one-year contract with Onyx Enterprises, Inc. (Tarolyn Buckles) to provide technical advisory services to the Water Board. Ms. Buckles replaces Jim Ridgway, who apparently could not come to terms with the Board on a contract.

* Copies of the new DWSD Suspension and Debarment Policy have been posted here. were not immediately available, pending the addition of a small change requested by one of the Commissioners, but it should be posted on the Department's home page within a few days.

** There was no reason given publicly for pulling these contracts from the Agenda, and only 1 of the 3 contractors, Lakeshore Engineering Services, is caught up in the on-again, off-again suspension saga. The Chairperson gave some indication at the end of today's meeting, however, that these 3 contracts would return to the Agenda at the Regular Water Board Meeting on February 22, 2012. 

For more information about DWSD Update, click here.

PC-783, Detroit Contracting (DCI) Submits Low Bid on Electrical Ductbank Repair Project

Detroit Contracting, Inc. (DCI) submitted the low bid earlier this afternoon on the project known as DWSD Contract PC-783, "Underground Electrical Ductbank Repair and EB-1, EB-2 and EB-10 Primary Service Improvements at WWTP and Replacement of Selected Roads at WWTP."

1.   Detroit Contracting - - - - - - $26,921,543

2.  Lakeshore Engineering - - -  $27,107,427

3.  Weiss Construction - - - - - $27,620,000*

4.  Walbridge - - - - - - - - - - - - $28,488,000

5.  Motor City Electric - - - - - - $29,839,970

The electrical portion of the project consists of installation of a new 120KV electrical feeder from DTE, replacement and addition of transformers, switchgears, MCC's and motor starter line ups. In addition, other electrical work including lighting, ground and lightning protection for buildings EB-1, EB-2 and EB-10.

For more about DWSD Update, click here. 

*Update (2/22): Weiss Construction was awarded this contract by the Water Board on February 22, 2012 (here).