Grosse Pointe Farms

Bids approved for Kerby pump station project

By K. Michelle Moran
C & G Staff Writer

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — This month, work has started on a major overhaul of the Kerby Road sewage pumping station.

Three firms vying for the job submitted bids. It was ultimately awarded to Mount Pleasant-based J. Ranck Electric Inc., the low bidder and the one recommended by the city’s engineers with Hubbell, Roth & Clark. The engineers said the project includes installation of a new, 2,000-kilowatt generator and related switchgear, which has already been ordered and purchased and is expected to be delivered before Aug. 31; replacement of all eight pump starters and wiring; replacement of wet well lighting; a new roof to correct existing leaks; installation of supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA, equipment to allow for remote pump reading and control, as well as improved backup power capabilities; and construction of a wall matching the pump station and featuring landscaping and decorative gates to screen the new generator. In addition, the engineers recommended adding two of nine possible additional work items: new, energy-efficient windows and weir wall modifications with stop gate installation. That brought J. Ranck Electric’s base bid to $3,039,252; with contingencies, the total budget is not to exceed $3,267,252, officials said.

During a special meeting the morning of June 26, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of the low bidder for the pump station work and a resolution authorizing an S2 grant agreement from the state, City Manager Shane Reeside said. City Council members Peter Waldmeir and Lev Wood were unable to attend the meeting.

The council had initially hoped to vote on bids at a regular meeting June 4, but several contractors asked for more time to bid because of the complexity of the project and other factors, leading officials to extend the deadline to June 12.

Reeside said they needed to hold a special meeting to approve the bids in order to get going on the project, which is expected to take about six to nine months, said Tom Biehl, executive vice president of HRC, at a previous meeting. All work on this first phase should be completed by July 1, 2013, according to officials.

The city is also applying for a $256,000 S2 grant from the Michigan Finance Authority and Department of Environmental Quality to cover planning and design costs.

The work is being financed through a general obligation bond, Reeside said.

Biehl said J. Ranck Electric has recently satisfactorily completed work for East Lansing, Saginaw and Bay City, and has also been responsible for Michigan Department of Transportation and other projects.

Pump station upgrades follow two large-scale basement sewage backups in May and September last year, and a smaller but still significant number of backup reports in July of 2011.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer K. Michelle Moran at kmoran@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1047.