Monroe closer to work on parks, including former Americana site

Council will give its final approval on the resolutions at its Feb. 11 meeting.

MORE: Monroe gets first look at plans for new park at former Americana site

City staff recommended the $493,000 base bid submitted by O’Heil Site Solutions of Dayton that included a total of 10 alternate bid items that includes a dog park, shelters, paved walking path, parking lot and driveway.

City Manager Bill Brock told council that based on previous attempts to bid other park projects, “we broke many items out of the base bid to ensure that we could get the basic components of the dog park.

He said bids for projects early this year have come within reasonable and previously estimated amounts, which has allowed us to accept all of the alternatives.”

Some council members felt some sticker shock when they saw the price tag for the project.

Newly elected Councilman Tom Callahan said he wanted more information, and Councilman Todd Hickman said that “it seems like a bit much.”

“I’d be interested to see how many people use it,” Hickman said, who later cast he lone vote against the resolution’s first reading.

Council heard the first reading for the first phase of the Monroe Bicentennial Commons project which also had a base bid and two alternate bid items. This was the second time that bids had been submitted for this project as the last time, council rejected all bids as they were over the engineer’s estimate for the project.

On Tuesday, city staff recommended the contract be awarded to Majors Enterprises Inc. of Monroe in the amount of $514,800.

Brock said the first alternate moves the transformers to a location that is out of the way and less noticeable at the park. He said the original location was placed to reduce overall costs, but was in a location that was in the middle of the amenities. The second alternate is a bid item that will only be used if required by the railroad or if the existing casing is determined to be damaged, he said.

Brock said Majors was determined to be the lowest and/or best after applying the five percent local preference as set forth in the city’s purchasing policy.