Board backs quick fix for dam despite cost

The rush to fix the Village of Grafton’s Bridge Street Dam leading to a costlier project has village residents and elected officials at odds.

The Public Works Committee on Monday recommended the Village Board accept the lone bid to fix the dam this fall when it meets Sept. 21, but not without trepidation about the bidding timing, process and the project’s price tag.

Two residents offered differing opinions on the timing of the dam fix.

Steve Holzman, whose backyard on North Avenue borders the Milwaukee River, wants to wait.

“When the dam broke in May it wasn’t an emergency then to fix it, and it’s not an emergency now to fix it,” he said. “I think the fiscally responsible thing to do is to wait until you can get bids in the spring when you can get more bids and they will be a lower amount, theoretically.”

Since the gate has been open, he said, the river is narrower but “it’s still functioning as a river.”

Resident Bill Harbeck, whose backyard on 17th Avenue also abuts the river, wants the dam fixed immediately.

“The public was super, super strong on fixing the gate and fixing it now. The ramifications of leaving the gate open through the winter could be devastating to the dam,” he said, noting water could get into the cracks and freeze. “It’s not just as simple as we’ll wait.”

The dam’s hydraulic cylinder broke in early May, draining the Mill Pond. Many residents since have implored the village to fix the dam as soon as possible.

The committee recommended approving the bid from Lunda Construction of Pewaukee. The base amount is $261,800 with a possible addition of $22,000 to replace the hydraulic cylinder.

Village Engineer Kevin Kimmes said the total might not be that high since he included $40,000 to fix the hydraulic system. Lunda, he said, thinks the cylinder needs replacing instead and likely won’t use that money, bringing the cost to $244,000.

Committee members weren’t happy that just one bid was received.

“Did we go out and call people?” Les Blum asked.

Kimmes said he only knows of four firms in the state that do this type of work. He called three contractors, and everyone turned him down except Lunda, mostly due to the timing.

Dam consultant J.F. Brennan Co. of La Crosse, which diagnosed the dam after it broke, didn’t submit a bid since its workers’ schedules are too busy this fall.

Spring bids, Kimmes said, would likely come in lower.

“I know people aren’t happy about the number but, like it or not, we were asked to put something together quickly. The word that was put explicitly in the motion was get an ‘expedited’ bid. So I moved fast,” he said.

“I understand it. This is a bad time to be bidding,” Blum said.

Committee member Tom Krueger asked about possible damage to the dam if repair is delayed until spring.

Kimmes said he hasn’t analyzed it and couldn’t give an answer.

The Village Board on Aug. 3 directed the expedited bid process after residents criticized officials for not fixing the dam right away as an emergency procedure.

The initial cost estimate to fix the dam was $180,000, but Kimmes said that’s not an “apples-to-apples” comparison to Lunda’s bid.

The emergency fix was an estimate and could have ballooned in price depending on multiple factors, he said. Lunda’s cost is fixed, with the contractor taking on the risk.

Committee member Jeremy Napiwocki said he has had good experiences with Lunda in the past.

Lunda has 60 days to do the work, but that doesn’t include time to order and deliver a new cylinder. The committee included ordering a cylinder immediately in its motion to recommend accepting the bid.

The work will require a permit from the state Department of Natural Resources for Lunda to construct a cofferdam, a watertight enclosure to allow crews to work. Public Works Director Julie Esch said she has been in touch with the DNR and was told the agency will respond quickly.

Napiwocki asked about adding a redundant system. Esch said that was in her report, but the board didn’t ask for it.

Blum asked for a change order to be added to include a redundant system, as well as for caulking the dam.

The committee also suggested refurbishing the broken cylinder and keeping it as a backup.

Krueger cast the lone no vote on the five-member panel to recommend the bid.

“The whole process isn’t going the way it should. The bottom line is it’s been frustrating,” he said after the meeting, adding he agrees with Holzman that the dam isn’t in urgent need of repair.

“We wound up taking a path that is going to be a lot more costly to village taxpayers, and that’s the only reason I voted no,” he said.