Staff recommends the City Council award a contract for W.O. 25-31, Water Reclamation Facility Air Flotation Thickener Roof Replacement to Empire Roofing Inc. in the amount of $181,446.

W.O. 25-31 will replace the roofing of the Air Floatation Thickener (AFT) building at the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF). This roof was last replaced in the 1990s and is scheduled for replacement due to the age and condition of the roof. This building contains processing equipment and electronics that are critical to daily operations of the water reclamation facility. These areas are sensitive to water damage and water leaks could become very costly.  Over the last three years, three roof replacements have been completed at the Water Reclamation Facility for the Administration Building, Solids Process Building, and the Secondary Pump Station.  This roof is next on the priority list of roofs to be replaced due to its condition and the critical equipment housed within the building.

The project was advertised on August 8th, August 15th, August 22nd, and August 29th, 2025, in the Yellowstone County News and on the City’s website. Bids were opened on September 2nd and two bids were received. Empire Roofing Inc. submitted the lowest responsible bid.  

City Council may:

• Award W.O. 25-31, WRF AFT Roof Replacement to Empire Roofing Inc. in the amount of $181,446; or,
• Not award a contract and reject all bids. If the project is not awarded, the roof will continue to deteriorate, which will result in increased maintenance costs and risk damage to buildings and critical processing equipment.

The following bids were received:
 

Contractor	Total Bid
Empire Roofing, Inc.	$181,446.00
Wegner Roofing and Solar	$256,418.45

The project was budgeted in FY26 using Wastewater O&M funds in the amount of $250,000. There are sufficient funds to award the contract.  Engineering Division staff is performing construction contract administration, similar to previous roof replacement projects.  Remaining funds will be used for any change orders.