The request of staff for the City Council is to review the attached Stroud Engineering Consultants, Inc. recommendation memo and to consider approval and award of the lowest bid submitted by Augustine Construction, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $81,403 for the 2017 Hemlock Dr. Stormwater System Improvements ITB No. 19-002.  

As City Council may recall, on August 5, 2014 City Council approved the purchase of two (2) residential properties located at 5135 and 5143 Hemlock Dr. with the use of Stormwater Utility Assessment Fee dollars.  The purchase of the properties was an effort by staff to reduce repetitive flooding in the northern area of the Heights neighborhood.  This proposed project calls out for the construction of a stormwater pond, street inlets, and a stormwater pond overflow structure connecting into the existing Florida Department of Transportation stormwater system.  While this type of project will not eliminate the flooding of streets, it is considered a “betterment” due to the reduction of flooding and the time it takes to lower the flood levels to make roads safe for travel.

The project was advertised for competitive bidding and on November 2, 2018 three (3) competitive bids were opened by the City.  The project bids received ranged from a low bid of $81,403 to a high bid of $122,420.  The low bid was submitted by Augustine Construction and reviewed by the Engineer of Record.  Augustine Construction has worked with the City on previous capital projects and is currently the contractor on the Orange Lake Improvements Project. Subsequent to the Engineer’s bid review, a letter of recommendation for bid award was submitted to staff.