LWC1081BN                                                                                                                    June 15, 2005

Ms. Debbie Van Saun, Airport Manager

Lawrence Municipal Airport

City of Lawrence

Assistant City Manager

6 East 6^th

Lawrence, Kansas  66044

Subject:    Lawrence Municipal Airport

               AIP Project No. 3-20-0047-12, Schedule II

               Recommendation to Reject All Bids

Dear Ms. Van Saun:

On May 24, 2004, bids were opened and read aloud in accordance with the Instruction to Bidders for the above referenced improvements to the Lawrence Municipal Airport. Two bids were received (bid tabulation enclosed) for Schedule II.

The two bidders were Huxtable & Associates, Inc. ($325,756.79) and Capitol Electric Construction, Inc. ($351,495.00).  Huxtable was the lowest bid but was 90% higher than the Engineer’s estimate of $171,625.00.  Our review of the bid items revealed higher costs on every item, with triple the estimate on common duct and double on airfield cable. We have not been experiencing prices this high on recent airfield lighting projects elsewhere. Other contractors ordered bid documents but did not bid. In debriefing with contractors, two suggested a rebid and that they would participate. We recommend that Schedule II should not be awarded from these bids and that the work should be bid immediately rebid for construction in 2005.

The project should be slightly modified to help attract bidders and to allow for the changed construction sequence. We propose to review and amend the overall contract time and runway closure periods, in consultation with you, to give contractors more leeway in scheduling the work. We will also make some minor changes in the plans to allow for the construction of Taxiway D after the Taxiway A lighting improvements are completed.

We are prepared to release the project for bidding next week, upon your approval, and receive bids on July 19, 2005. We anticipate the usual delay in lighting materials, but we should reasonably expect construction to start in early October and be completed before the end of the season.

Please call if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Dana Hartshorn, P.E.

Principal

Enclosure

cc:        Mr. Mike Rottinghaus, P.E., FAA w/encl.