R2024-274 Resolution Authorizing a Professional Services Agreement with Paul’s Machine and Welding Corp., to Provide Engineering, Labor and Material to Rebuild the Sluice Gate Hoist Machinery Frame for the Lake Decatur Dam North Sluice Gate

Home Browse Search

Public Works DATE: 7/29/2024 MEMO: 2024-110 TO: Honorable Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe and City Council Members FROM: Tim Gleason,City Manager Matt Newell,P.E.,Public Works Director Robert Weil,Water Production Manager John Dodwell,Water Production Maintenance Supervisor SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing a Professional Services Agreement with Paul's Machine and Welding Corp.,to Provide Engineering,Labor and Material to Rebuild the Sluice Gate Hoist Machinery Frame for the Lake Decatur Dam North Sluice Gate SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council approve a resolution authorizing a professional services agreement with Paul's Machine and Welding Corp. in the amount of$83,250,to provide engineering,labor and material to rebuild the hoist machinery frame for the Lake Decatur Dam north sluice gate. BACKGROUND: The Lake Decatur Dam and its appurtenances are generally in good condition,according to annual inspections conducted by Hanson Professional Services,Inc.as required by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources(IDNR),the regulatory agency for dams.The Water Utility Sustainability Plan,approved in 2022,did not recommend any major capital repairs for the dam. The sluice gates are the vertical gates located on the north end of the dam structure. They are generally the only way to release water from the dam during the winter months. They are raised or lowered by means of a mechanical gear system. An unusual incident occurred during the extremely cold conditions on January 16,2024. The sluice gates needed to be raised to release water from a precipitation event. However,when the attempt was made to operate the sluice gates,the hoist machinery for both north and south sluice gates were damaged. It was later discovered that the sluice gates were frozen in place by a significant ice accumulation, and the hoist machinery was fractured due to the strain of operating against the frozen gates. To the best of our knowledge,this situation has not occurred before. Hanson Professional Services was contacted immediately;they provided and continue to provide recommendations on short-and long-term repairs. Repairs, approved by Hanson Professional Services,have already been successfully completed on the south sluice gate. The damage to the hoist machinery on the north sluice gate was more severe. Several area metal fabrication contractors were contacted,including the firm that refurbished the mechanism in 2010,who submitted a price in excess of$100,000 for the repairs. The services are highly specialized due to the age and unique mechanics,requiring an element of design as well as labor and materials.Therefore,a design-build approach was chosen,to employ the practical engineering knowledge of an industrial fabricator. This approach would also help complete the repairs before the upcoming winter season,when the sluice gates will need to be fully operational to manage water levels in Lake Decatur. Most of the other firms contacted chose not to submit quotes due to the nature of the repairs required. Staff selected Paul's Machine and Welding,located in Villa Grove,Illinois,as the best qualified firm to complete the design and rebuilding of the drive frame for the north sluice gate hoist machinery.They are a large firm involved in fabrication,industrial millwright services,material management,as well as product development. Their proposal outlines a good approach to replacing the support frame that fractured during the icing event. The cost proposal is for an amount of$73,250,which includes payment of prevailing wages for those involved in the on-site removal and reinstallation. An additional allowance of$10,000 is included in the contract to provide for unforeseen contingencies that may arise,for a total contract price of$83,250. Because the services are highly technical and involve primarily shop work requiring very limited subcontracting or material needs, the contractor is not able to meet the City's MBE goals.