$4.1 million contract for new water plant awarded

The Cairo Mayor and Council accepted a bid Monday night on the much anticipated new water treatment plant to be built at the Cairo Municipal Airport.
Six bids, ranging from $5,108,327 to $4,307,000, were received and the council voted to accept the bid of Bates Engineers/Contractors Inc., of Bainbridge at $4,180,843.
The council also accepted City Manager Chris Addleton’s recommendation to accept the deductive alternates totaling $156,400, which made the Bates bid the low bid. The next lowest bid was $4,303,600 from H.C. Coleman & Co., Inc. of Marietta.
“We had a lot of bids on this project, which is nice. It’s a high profile project and there was a lot of interest so we believe we got some excellent bids,” Addleton said.
Councilman James H. (Jimmy) Douglas noted that by accepting the alternates and agreeing to do some work with city forces also is an expense. “Is it cost beneficial for us to do it ourselves rather than the contractor doing it?” he asked.
Addleton said the city staff’s analysis indicated it would be cost beneficial and he said Public Works Director Raymond Stokes said city crews have the time to do the work.
The project is being funded by a loan from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority and city funds invested in the Municipal Competitive Trust.
The contract the council authorized Cairo Mayor Bobby Burns to execute Monday night calls for substantial completion of the project within 300 days of the notice to proceed.