BT Honoring Its Low Bid For Panel

By ERIC X. VICCARO

eviccaro@stegenherald.com

The city of Ste. Genevieve Board of Aldermen approved a bid from BT Electric, LLC, of Bloomsdale for work on a new electrical panel at the water plant.

Due to a miscommunication between the contractor, and one of his suppliers, BT furnished an exceptionally low bid.

“BT is willing to honor their bid of $196,890.41,” said Brian Gentges from Cochran Engineering. 

Gentges was present at the board of aldermen meeting to answer any further questions the aldermen had, which were minimal.

Midstates Energy provided a bid of $347,500 and 5B Electric $351,082.50., which were both inline with Cochran Engineering’s cost estimate.

The board approved the bid, 7-0, and it’s expected aldermen will okay the contract at the next meeting on Feb. 24. Ward 1 Alderman Gary Smith was absent. 

City Administrator Happy Welch said the engineers will come forward with a change order for $64,000 at some point – but even that projects the cost to a little under $261,000.

The city will be using a combination of American Rescue Plan Act money and from the water/sewer line item for the funding of the project.

Cochran Engineering recommended the city carry a 10 percent contingency to “account for field changes encountered during construction.”

There are other portions of the project which will accrue additional cost: a new shed, Micro Comm’s work and $14,661.45 to Citizen’s Electric Corporation to relocate transformers to outside the water plant.

Later in the meeting, the aldermen also unanimously okayed that relocation of the service main and transformers at the water plant. 

The water plant’s current electrical panel is both outdated and dangerous, corroded with rust. This was the original panel that came with the plant when it was constructed during the 1980s.