Council accepts $247,016 bid for Elkhorn Fire Station remodel, asks for contractor vetting

The council voted to accept a construction bid of $247,016 from Construction Solutions Company to remodel sleeping quarters at the Elkhorn Fire Station. Architect Stan Cole recommended proceeding with the bid and suggested including alternates 1–3 while omitting alternate 4; the formal motion accepted the bid with an adjustment to accept alternate 4 as a $5,000 deduction, subject to an amended American Institute of Architects (AIA) contract acceptable to the city.

Council members expressed concern about receiving only a single bid and asked the architect and staff to perform additional due diligence on the contractor’s qualifications and references. Mayor Peter Hendricks requested that certain staff and a member of the public be involved in an internal construction committee to oversee the project; Cole said he would observe the work and review pay requests monthly. Council Member Jane Conard also asked Cole to contact cities where the contractor had worked to verify references.