Council tables $534,000 HVAC bid for sewer stations; asks engineers to value-engineer design

Hooper City Council members voted to table awarding a bid to install upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning at three sewer lift/pump stations after several council members and a local HVAC contractor questioned design choices and the scale of the low bid.

Public works staff presented two public bids; the low total bid for the three-station package was about $534,000 — considerably higher than the $160,000–$180,000 range staff and council had been planning in the budget. Taylor from public works noted the stations have experienced thermal overloads and pump shutdowns, which staff wants to fix to avoid service interruptions. "When that happens, the pump shuts down," Taylor said, explaining the operational risk.

Council members and a local contractor raised specific objections to the engineering design: heavy ductwork, large electrical-service upgrades (a proposed 600-amp service in one building), and whether a simpler through-wall unit installation could meet cooling needs at far lower cost. A local contractor consulted informally argued the ductwork in the plans could be excessive and recommended more direct unit-mounted solutions.

Given the gap between estimate and bid and the limited number of responsive contractors, council voted to table the award and instructed staff and the design engineer to pursue value engineering and, if warranted, to reissue the bid package. The council emphasized the need to balance long-term reliability for critical sewer infrastructure with fiscal stewardship of city funds.