South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Slab replacement delayed due to unfinished work

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Concrete slab replacement bids for Sunset Hills may have been affected by last year’s unfinished project after the Board of Aldermen approved the replacements about $33,000 over budget.

The city budgeted $250,000 for the project, with the final approved bid coming from M and H Concrete at $283,111. An ongoing situation with last year’s contractor, Sweetens Concrete Services, caused the city to go to bid two months later than last year, resulting in the city receiving just two bids for this year’s project.

Sweetens only finished about a third of last year’s project due to staffing issues, and as the city attempted to come to a solution with the company, it delayed this year’s bids.

“The best bid … is $10 higher than how the job was estimated as we put the job together. This compares to last year’s bid that was two months earlier in the season,” Assistant City Engineer Wesley Searcy stated in a memo. “The delay in getting a decision on the Sweetens matter from last year apparently put us at the end of the line and most contractors must be scheduled out for the year.”

The city has committed to holding Sweetens to finish last year’s project due to a worse bidding environment. 

“I am confident based on our supervision and the contractors reputation that if we do hold them to the contract they will perform,” City Engineer Bryson Baker said in April. 

The city contacted the company and had not received a response as of May 3.

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