FLINT, MI -- Equipment may begin digging up earth as soon as next month in Flint to replace thousands of lead-tainted water lines to homes in the city.
But some disagreement remains over the process being used to select the companies to complete the work.
City Council members approved seven contracts March 23 totaling more than $35 million for replacement of up to 6,000 pipes and associated clean-up work after city officials pushed for a rebid over claims previous amount proposals came in at too high a cost.
Seven contractors were awarded the work, pending receipt of funds, including $100 million in grant dollars from the federal Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016, $20 million match from the state Department of Environmental Quality and Children Health Insurance grants.
David Sabuda, the city's chief financial officer, said a portion of the funds is expected to be received in the next few days. Michael McDaniel, the coordinator of the Fast Start line replacement program, said contractors expect to replace at least four lines a day once the work begins.
Approximately 800 water lines have been replaced since the beginning of Mayor Karen Weaver's Fast Start Initiative in March 2016. The city has estimated around 20,000 lead and lead-tainted galvanized iron service lines leading from the water main to the water meter of homes still need to be replaced.
Councilwoman Kate Fields cast the lone no vote during the recent approval, with Councilwoman Jackie Poplar not in attendance, arguing the bid process was not being conducted properly.
"I am and a lot of people are concerned about these contracts," she said of the fourth phase of pipe replacement, adding Flint purchasing director Derrick Jones noted the bid did not meet state guidelines at the time.
Fields has submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the state and city of Flint to see documents pertaining any rebid request by the MDEQ after Goyette Mechanical previously submitted a bid for all 10 zones that fit under the state's required $5,000 cap per household for each replacement.
"I would like a written rationale into legal, a written rationale for this pipe rebid," she said. "Unless I see something that's really legitimate, my opinion is that this bid has been corrupted once again."
McDaniel argued Goyette's bid was non-conforming because the dollar figures were based on a per-home basis and not the length of pipe needed to perform the work.
"It would have been wholly unfair to the other bidders if we were to accept that," he said, while later pointing out the company had calculated the amount per foot based upon an average of 30 feet and using their own inspectors.
Representatives from Goyette did attend a Feb. 22 committee meeting to address the city's decision to reopen bids, saying that their initial bid has been revealed and gives competitors an opportunity to underbid their $4,200 per house submission.
Goyette was one of the companies chosen to work on the second and third phases of the Fast Start program.
Previous bid proposals have gone out with every contractor coming in too high, with the exception of Goyette, McDaniel said.
"It's on me that maybe I tried something new that I shouldn't and it was too confusing," he said. "If so, I take that (responsibility) but we did do it fairly the second time around and everybody bid per address."
Prior to a vote on the contracts, Councilman Herbert Winfrey said "I don't see where there's this attempt to do some skullduggery. If you don't listen, you might miss something."
City officials have said it could still take up to three years to replace all of the service lines, with an average of 6,000 homes to be completed each year through 2019.
Here's a breakdown of the contracts totaling more than $35.6 million, including amounts not be exceeded, the awarded company and work to be performed:
-$10,980,000: WT Stevens Construction Inc. for up to 2,700 residential water line replacements in Zones 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9
-$9,148,500: Goyette Mechanical for up to 2,100 residential water line replacements in Zones 2, 3, 6, and 8
-$5,344,200: Zito Construction for pavement/right-of-way repair restoration services after water service line repair for Zones 2, 4, 8, and 10
-$4,486,500: AFSCME Local 1600/AFSCME Local 1799 for pavement/right-of-way repair restoration services after water service line repair for Zones 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9
-$2,335,950: Waldorf & Sons for up to 600 residential water line replacements in Zone 4
-$1,890,675: Lang Construction Inc. for up to 600 residential water line replacements in Zone 10
-$1,159,650: Yeager Asphalt for pavement/right-of-way repair restoration services after water service line repair for Zone 1