Council approves construction-manager-at-risk selection for Webster City wastewater plant

Webster City Council voted to pursue Woodruff Construction as the construction-manager-at-risk for the city’s wastewater-plant project and authorized staff to enter a pre-construction AIA A133 agreement.

Engineer Darren Jacobs told the council the selection committee interviewed four shortlisted contractors and recommended Woodruff Construction of Fort Dodge for pre-construction and design-phase services under an AIA A133 contract. Jacobs said the contract for pre-construction work was presented as a not-to-exceed $70,000 fee and that Woodruff has indicated it would rebate that fee if selected later to perform the construction work.

"We interviewed in person for shortlisted contractors and came to the conclusion and the recommendation that Woodruff Construction be pursued for a contract," Jacobs said, explaining that the initial A133 work is intended to develop schedules, cost estimates and a guaranteed-maximum-price (GMP) proposal.

Jacobs and other staff emphasized the two-phase approach: (1) pre-construction collaboration to refine scope and cost-saving measures, and (2) a construction contract that would include a GMP once permitting and final design are complete. Staff said the project team’s target is to keep total project costs below $30 million.

During questions, Jacobs noted eight firms initially responded to the request; four were shortlisted (Woodruff; Story Construction of Ames; Tricon; and Wendler). He said Peterson Construction of Webster City was among the eight but did not make the final four. Jacobs stressed that losing the CMAR shortlist did not bar local firms from participating: prime subcontract work above the public-bid threshold (noted in discussion as $26,000) must be publicly bid and local firms can compete for those subcontracts.

Council moved and approved the resolution recommending Woodruff as the construction manager-at-risk and authorizing the city manager to enter the AIA contract for pre-construction services. The motion carried on the council’s voice/roll call vote.