Leesburg water tank projects move forward

LEESBURG — One of Leesburg’s many infrastructure improvement projects took another step forward Tuesday night when the Leesburg City Council approved a contractor to handle the raising of the 500,000-gallon water tower on Highway 32.

The council voted unanimously to award the contract to Phoenix Fabricators & Erectors, which became the low bidder on the project after the original low-bidder, Tank Pro Inc., was disqualified for not meeting all of the bid specifications.

According to Leesburg City Manager Bob Alexander, Tank Pro’s base bid of $404,138 was lower than Phoenix’s $432,400 bid, but the bid specs required that the bidding firms be able to demonstrate that they had experience raising water tanks of that size.

After the bids were examined by the city’s contracted engineering firm, Still Waters Engineering, as well as by consultant Ritchie Marbury and City Attorney Bert Gregory, Tank Pro’s bid package did not satisfy that requirement.

Chad Griffin, an engineer with Still Waters, explained that while Tank Pro did not submit anything about the company’s experience with tank raising, the company was still given another opportunity to provide that information after the bid closing date of Oct. 13.

“We wrote a letter to Tank Pro and asked them if maybe they didn’t, for some reason, read the specifications correctly and give us their experience,” said Griffin. “As of Oct. 27 — that was the deadline for them to get additional qualifications back to us — we have not received anything. Still Waters has not received anything, the city of Leesburg has not received anything either.”

After not receiving anything, Griffin said, Still Waters issued a letter Monday stating that the city was moving on to the second bidder on the project.

“The low bidder is being disqualified,” Alexander said. “What we required as part of the specifications that the firm has experience in raising similar type tanks. The firm has to demonstrate they’ve raised at least 10 tanks of similar size.

“They have individuals with the company that used to work with other companies that have done that. On this particular type of job we were requesting that the firm knew how to do it. There’s just a lot of components to this. We needed a firm that’s actually done it.”

Although the Phoenix bid was higher than Tank Pro’s disqualified bid, Griffin said that the winning bid was still roughly $65,000 less than what the city had budgeted for the project.

Alexander added that in addition to the bid coming in under budget, he also felt good about the quality of work the city will likely get from Phoenix, an assessment he based on the work the company has done constructing the new tank at the city’s Public Works site.

“They’re the ones doing the work out at the Public Works building and they’re on schedule with that project,” the city manager said. “So far, so good. I was really impressed that they put that whole thing up in one day. They look like they’re a pretty effective firm, in my opinion.”

Griffin agreed with Alexander’s assessment of Phoenix, saying the company was “the industry leader in tank raising” and that the company had raised roughly 65 tanks in the 20 years they’ve been in business.

“Those guys made six or seven trips down here to look at your tank and examine it, so they are very qualified company,” said Griffin. “You’re definitely doing the right thing.”

With the contract awarded, Griffin said the tank-raising will occur after a current project being done to a well on the tank site is completed.

“We don’t want to have two contractors sitting on top of each other, so as soon as (Hammock Wells) finishes, we’ll get contract documents together, submit them for review. Then we’ll make sure Hammock is out of the way, and once Hammock is out of the way, we will allow that contractor to get on to that site,” he said.

“I’m excited about it,” Mayor Jim Quinn said of the tank-raising. “That’s just cool.”

In other business, the board voted unanimously to approve a standard maintenance contract with Parks Senior Village allowing the city’s Public Works Department to regularly inspect a holding pond on the senior living development’s property.

“It’s a routine matter,” said Alexander.

Alexander also introduced Russell Ferguson, the city’s newly hired water and wastewater superintendent. Alexander said Ferguson had previously been employed by Lee County in its water and wastewater department, and that he possessed class one certifications as both a water system operator and as a wastewater system operator.

Ferguson was hired out of a pool of three finalists who were interviewed by Alexander and Griffin.

“We had numerous qualified people apply for this position,” said Alexander. “We feel like he’ll be a very good fit. I’m proud that he’s joined us.”

During his introduction, Ferguson told council members that he was born in Dawson and had lived in Lee County for 18 years, currently not far from the water treatment plant.

“I will take good care of this plant,” he said. “When Leesburg takes it back over, there won’t be black eyes and bloody noses going on. We will have it under control and have it working right. The EPD (Environmental Protection Division) will be happy, the citizens will be happy, you’ll be happy and I’ll be anonymous. I foresee no problems at all. The plant is a very reliable system. If you treat it right and let it do its work it’s going to do its work.

“I’m glad to be here and I’m honored I was chosen and I won’t let you down.”

During his other remarks Alexander also announced that he, council member Judy Powell and office manager Karen Collins would be attending a Georgia Department of Community Affairs conference in Savannah Wednesday where they will accept $500,000 in DCA Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding on behalf of the city. Those funds will be used on a sewer improvement project.

In light of the bid award for the tank-raising, Alexander provided the council with an update on the water tank at Public Works. Alexander said Phoenix crews were currently on-site painting the tower.

“They’ve finished sandblasting and I think they’ve got a coat of primer paint on it,” said Alexander. “In talking with the supervisor, he said it was going to take about a month to finish that project.”

Alexander also provided on update on the city’s train depot renovation project, informing the council that the contractor, Fourth Street Design and Construction LLC, had begun the renovations and were on track to meet the six-month timeline for completion of what is considered Phase I of the depot project.

“I think it’s going to be a boost to downtown Leesburg,” Alexander said of the restored depot. “I think it’s going to impact other things that are going to happen. I think everybody’s going to be very proud of the work we’re doing.

“I think people are getting excited about the fact that we’re moving forward with the downtown area and making progress in Leesburg.”