City Commissioners unanimously approved two two contracts for the Lift Station No. 1 repair project during their Nov. 6 meeting.

They approved two amendments to the pre-procurement of project equipment agreement, one for $585,112.03 and the other for $1,081,777.98.

City staff recommended approval of both amendments.

In 2021, the city conducted a feasibility study for the project, then applied for and was awarded American Rescue Plan Act, or federal COVID relief funds, for the project.

Design began in 2022 and they had 30 percent designs in October 2022, at which point, the cost estimate was $7.8 million.

Commissioners voted in April 2023 to use the general contractor construction management process, which is allowed under Montana law, for alternative project delivery methods for complex projects under certain criteria, which city staff determined were met in this case.

The general contractor construction management process includes phases of preconstruction and construction, according to staff.

City approves contract for lift station project [2023]

It’s the second project for which the city is using the GCCM process.

In September 2023, the city awarded the contractor manager contract and were at 60 percent designs in December 2023, at which point, the cost estimate had risen to $16.7 million, city staff said during an April 2024 work session, for an increase of $8.9 million.

City staff told commissioners in April that much of the initial cost estimates were based on the city’s 2021 river crossing project, but many of those costs had since doubled and inflation had risen.

The contracts on the Nov. 6 agenda are for improvements to Lift Station No. 1, which pumps sanitary wastewater across the Missouri River to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

During an April 2024 commission work session, staff discussed a $9 million budget shortfall that was during the design phase of the project.

City adjusting plan for Lift Station No. 1 project due to cost increases

Due to the cost increase, city staff said in April that they adjusted the project scope to focus on Lift Station No. 1 improvements in the first phase and shift forcemain repairs to a future second phase.

The design phase is nearly complete and city staff, as well as TD&H Engineering and Prospect Construction, the GCCM, are recommending that commissioners move forward with pre-procurement of long lead time equipment needed for the project.

During the meeting, Commissioner Joe McKenney asked if staff was concerned that the equipment could be obsolete by the time it arrived.

Chris Gaub, city public works director, said that was not a concern and that with the timing of early procurement, the equipment should arrive in sync with construction.

Commissioners approved about $5.9 million in ARPA, or federal COVID-relief, funds, which have a Dec. 31, 2025 spending deadline.

City considering utility, sanitation rate increases

City staff said the pre-procurement will help ensure those ARPA funds are spent by that deadline.

Staff recommended that commissioners approve a sole source procurement of project specific control valves, panels and associated services for a not-to-exceed total of $585,112.03 from Dezurik, which will be handled through Prospect Construction.

Dezurik is a pump control valve manufacturer and distributed through Yellowstone Waterworks in Billings, according to city staff.

City staff also recommended that commissioners approve a sole source procurement of project specific pump control valves, panels and associated services for a not-to-exceed total of $1,081,777.98 by the distributor Morrison Pump Company and Border States, through Integrity Pump Solutions, a business unit of Patterson.

City approves contract for lift station project [2023]

According to city staff, “it is in the best interest of the city to replace existing Patterson equipment with equipment from the same vendor.”

Under this amendment, variable frequency drives and associated systems will be sole sourced from Allen Bradley.

“The city has accumulated spare parts for these systems to keep critical system infrastructure functional and reliable. Use of these products will ensure simplicity of programming, maintenance, and existing systems integration,” according to public works staff.

City Commission approves contract process for lift station project [2023]

The Lift Station No. 1 project has been selected and prioritized under the public works capital improvements program.

It’s being funded with $3,854,585 of state ARPA minimum allocation grant funds; $2,000,000 of state ARPA competitive grant funds; and the remainder from the city sewer treatment fund, according to city staff.

If the ARPA funds aren’t spent by Dec. 31, 2025, the city risks losing those funds and having to fund the project through other sources.