Geneva panel OKs nearly $1M to replace underground electric system

Geneva alderpersons, acting as the Committee of the Whole, unanimously recommended approval of an almost $1 million contract to Utility Dynamics Corporation for the labor to replace the underground electrical system in the Dover Ridge subdivision.

The project will consist of the installation of conduit and pulling vaults, switches, transformers, pedestals and primary electric cable among other items, documents show.

Dover Ridge, on the city’s west side, was built in the 1980s. It encompasses Southampton Drive and Southampton Court, located east of Randall Road and south of Kaneville Road.

The recommendation for the work is part of the Electric Division’s program of replacing underground infrastructure, documents show.

The City Council will take final action to award the contract to Utility Dynamics Corporation of Oswego for $811,740. The action will allow City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins to approve change orders not to exceed 10% of the contract amount for a total cost of $892,914.

Utility Dynamics was the lowest of three bids.

At the Aug. 19 Committee of the Whole, Third Ward Alderperson Dean Kilburg asked Superintendent of Electrical Services Aaron Holton about how change orders are processed, particularly since this one could cost about $81,000.

“There’s several different ways that we go about that,” Holton said. “Typically on these – even though this is an $800,000 contract – the scope of work is relatively compact, so we’re pretty confident we won’t have any change orders. That doesn’t mean that once the work begins, the contractor goes out to look at it in detail (and) we find conflicts. That’s usually – in at least in my division – we end up with mostly conflicts with other utilities that we have to work around.”

Generally, the contractor works up what they think the change order should be and presents it to division staff for evaluation, Holton said.

“Sometimes, we go back and we negotiate it down,” Holton said. “I say, ‘That looks a little, you know, excessive for what you’re asking and we think it could be done this way for less money.’ And we kind of go back and forth a little bit like that.”

For larger projects, such as the construction on the city’s east side, Holton said they rely on a consulting engineer, Stanley Consulting, which has a more formal process.

“As the engineers, they evaluated it again, to see if it’s valid or not, and present it to us for acceptance,” Holton said. “We either accept it or we go back and say, ‘No, we think we might be able to work something out here,’ and there can be a negotiation between us and the contractor. But we don’t sign off on a change order until we’re satisfied that it’s going to be ... warranted.”