City staffers question new wastewater contract

I opposed hiring a consultant to do the City Manager's job, with a potential cost of $50,ooo and time wasted, the rest of the Council approved this item by a vote of 4-1. I also will not support a contract with Micromedia because of the lack of experiance and down payment requirement.

By JASON SMITH BARSTOW — A consultant will help city staff negotiate a contract MicroMedia Filtration, Inc., the contractor chosen to upgrade the city’s wastewater-treatment facility. After the city canceled its previous contract with HDR Consulting, Inc., some city staffers are concerned about the council’s choice of MicroMedia. In special session Tuesday, the City Council voted to hire a consultant to assist with negotiating the contract because city staff members do not have the expertise to evaluate the technology used in the facility. Council member Steve Curran said he is normally against hiring outside help but that it was necessary in this case because of the new technology. “I feel that hiring a consultant and covering ourselves is in the best interest of the city,” he said. According to the meeting’s agenda, city staff were concerned that MicroMedia was the only firm invited to bid and felt it could make negotiating the contract’s terms difficult. Staff also questioned MicroMedia’s request for a 20 percent down payment of $3 million. MicroMedia CEO Sam Luxenburg said that a 20 percent down payment was reasonable given the size of the project. The money is needed to pay equipment suppliers and for soil testing and other engineering services necessary to begin construction, he said. “Surely the city staff understand that we have to pay our building suppliers,” he said. Citing ongoing negotiations, City Manager Hector Rodriguez declined to discuss the details of the contract. He said that the contract was not completed because more detailed information was needed from MicroMedia. Luxenburg said the contract is still under negotiations and that MicroMedia has provided the city with all the documents they requested. He said MicroMedia is being delayed because the city has not provided the company with the engineering drawings by HDR. Rodriguez said via e-mail that those drawings would be accessible to MicroMedia upon request. The city spent $1.7 million on engineering drawings before voting on July 18 to cancel the contract with HDR.