Commission votes to bring lift‑station engineering in-house after contractor proposal

The commission considered a task order for Mead and Tompkins to produce bid packages and manage rehabilitation work on three lift stations, at a not‑to‑exceed cost of $79,868. After discussion about internal capacity and cost, a motion to perform the engineering work in-house passed unanimously.

Commissioners raised alternatives including existing in-house engineering expertise, potential 30–60 day additional timeline if done internally, and watertight lids or other lower‑cost resiliency measures to reduce the need for larger lift‑station raises. One commissioner urged using in‑house resources to conserve budget ahead of potential state tax changes. Staff will begin internal design work and report timing and resource needs to the commission.