Staff recommends the City Council award a contract for W.O. 20-23, Solid Waste Container Storage Facility, to FirstMark Construction, LLC for the base bid and the alternate in the amount of $469,665.00.

W.O. 20-23, Solid Waste Container Storage Facility, is intended to provide a new, larger, and enclosed facility to assemble and store Solid Waste containers.  This will free up outdoor space at the BOC that is needed for other uses.  The project generally consists of construction of an 80-foot by 100-foot pole barn adjacent to the existing Billings Regional Landfill south of Hillcrest Road. The pole barn shall be complete with exterior and interior lighting, electrical outlets, overhead and man doors, and an asphalt floor.  A 12,000 square foot asphalt pad shall be constructed next to the pole barn for additional outdoor storage. This project also includes construction of an asphalt access road, site grading, and miscellaneous drainage improvements.

A bid alternate was included for an alternative roof system.  This building will not be insulated, so there could be the potential for condensation to form on the inside of the standard roof.  This would not be a major concern due to most of the containers inside the building being made from plastic, so any dripping moisture should not cause damage, but could be detrimental if/when workers are inside assembling new containers.  The alternate roof system has shown to greatly reduce any condensation.  Also, the alternate roof system includes a heavier gauge steel, which should last longer, especially with the high winds that area can experience.

The project was advertised on May 22, May 29, and June 5, 2020, in the Yellowstone County News and on the City’s website.  Bids were opened on June 9, 2020, and three bids were received.  FirstMark Construction, LLC submitted the lowest, responsible bid.

 City Council may:

• Award W.O. 20-23, Solid Waste Container Storage Facility, to FirstMark Construction, LLC for the base bid and the alternate in the amount of  $469,665.00; or
• Do not award a contract and reject all bids.  If the project is not awarded, all Solid Waste containers must continue to be exposed to the elements and stored outside at the BOC, taking up space that could be used more efficiently.

The following bids were received:  Contractor  Base Bid  Alternate Bid (different roof system)  Total of Base Bid + Alternate  Knife River - Billings  $ 472,786.00  $ 22,915.00  $495,701.00  KLE Construction  $ 574,800.00  $ 60,000.00  $634,800.00  FirstMark Construction, LLC  $ 449,915.00  $ 19,750.00  $469,665.00   The FY20 budget included a BOC Modifications project for $200,000 using Solid Waste funds.  When the budget was developed, an analysis of the BOC had not been done.  After review of potential improvements at the BOC, it was determined that moving the containers would be the most effective project to free up space at the site.  While there was only $200,000 in the budget, the slope stabilization project came in significantly lower than expected so there was available budget to do the container project. The bids for both the Base Bid and the Bid Alternate are considered very good compared to recent bids, so it is recommended to award both.