Amador County – The Ione City Council discussed the city’s proposed wastewater treatment plant bidding process last week, and asked staff to try to reconnect with two bidders who had dropped out of the process.

Mayor Skip Schaufel asked if the other companies that submitted early in the bidding process, during the request for qualifications, had come forward, in the city’s effort to get a company to design, build, operate and finance a new tertiary wastewater treatment plant.

City Manager Kim Kerr said two companies had “withdrawn from the process,” but could choose to come back. City Attorney Kristen Castanos said all three companies were qualified to do the project.

The three early interested companies were Teichert Construction of Stockton, Auburn Constructors Incorporated of Sacramento and PERC Water Corporation of Costa Mesa. Of those, only PERC was still trying to pursue the project, while the other two have said they would not.

Councilman Jim Ulm asked that they try to send Teichert to a Hilmar pond plant, “so we can honestly say we looked at it.” Councilman Lee Ard said the problem was that Teichert’s original bid “danced around the tertiary” issue, which the city wants for its project.

The Hilmar plant was described in public comment by Lloyd Oneto as a “pretty green” pond plant, with new technology designed by Berkeley professors.

Councilwoman Andrea Bonham said “cutting edge technology” is new but it still means that “these are new plants that are working,” and are “not getting into something people have never seen before.”

Vice Mayor David Plank said the original criteria were given all firms in the bidding process, including the preference of the closed system, and the tertiary level of treatment.

Ulm suggested that the city could get rid of city engineer Bob Godwin of Lee & Ro, because “we have enough engineers” on the city council.

Ard said: “We have a council that understands.”

Kerr said she would send letters to the other two bidders and come back with further information in 30 days. She said “they could come back in,” but it was up to the companies.

Kerr told the council that if they are not satisfied at the end of the bidding process, they can go to the individual bidders and try to negotiate. The council could also go out for requests for proposals.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.