City to Seek New Bids for Sewer Project

By Gladys Alcedo, The Day, New London, Conn.

Mar. 7–GROTON — City Mayor Dennis L. Popp and members of the City Council on Monday sharply criticized the way the administration of the city’s sewer operations solicited proposals for a sewer rehabilitation project. They ordered that the project be re-bid.

Popp and councilors, sitting as the city’s Wastewater Pollution Control Authority, said the technique that was used could give the public the perception that the city was excluding companies and “steering bids” to certain contractors.

The project, initially estimated at around $124,600, would call for relining more than 1,100 linear feet of sewer lines on Godfrey, Broad and Thames streets, as well as a sewer easement between Tyler Avenue and Shennecossett Road.

The staff didn’t advertise the work, but rather asked three companies that had done past work for the city’s wastewater treatment system to quote a price for the project.

“I just can’t believe in this day and age and particularly in the climate we live in there are no (requests for proposals) on these jobs. You should beat the bushes, rather than deal with the people we’ve dealt with in past jobs,” Deputy Mayor Paul A. Duarte said.

Popp also took issue with the staff’s decision to ask only the so-called lowest bidder to submit a quote for a more extensive work, while the same opportunity wasn’t afforded to the two other firms.

Staff initially asked the three companies to submit a proposal to reline 160 linear feet of sewer lines. Due to the low bid submitted by Green Mountain Pipeline Services Inc. of Bethel, Vt., the staff asked that company to quote a price for relining another 955 linear feet of sewer lines.

Councilors on Monday agreed to delay any action on the sewer project until April so the staff could seek competitive bids through an open and advertised process.

In other business Monday, the council agreed to accept a $48,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the purchase of a Rigid Hull Zodiac boat with an outboard motor and trailer that can be used to protect the waterfront around submarine-maker Electric Boat.

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