Port Allen Got Six Bids on a Sewer Project. None Were Close to Budget
Port Allen Rejects All Bids on Sewer Project — Every Bid Came in Over Budget
Six contractors submitted bids; lowest still exceeded project estimate by $463,000
PORT ALLEN — The city of Port Allen will return to the bidding process on a federally funded sewer improvement project after all six bids came in above the project's estimated cost, according to documents obtained by WBR Independent.
Bids for the FY 2025 Louisiana Community Development Block Grant Sewer System Rehabilitation and Improvements project were publicly opened March 24 at Port Allen City Hall. The project's cost estimate was $1,104,906. Not a single bid came close.
Tony Arikol, P.E., President of Professional Engineering Consultants Corporation (PEC), wrote to Mayor Terecita Pattan on March 30 recommending the city reject all bids. The Public Works Committee received his recommendation at its April 1 meeting.
"We recommend rejecting all bids for this project," Arikol wrote.
The Bids
According to the certified bid summary prepared by PEC, six contractors submitted bids:
| Contractor | Total Bid |
|---|---|
| NCMC, LLC | $1,567,999.50 * |
| Allen & LeBlanc, LLC | $1,598,600.00 |
| Southern Underground of LA, LLC | $1,695,995.00 |
| LA Contracting Enterprise, LLC | $2,212,147.50 |
| Gulf Coast Underground, LLC | $2,223,481.05 |
| E.B. Feucht & Sons, LLC | $3,236,970.00 |
* Bid summary notes an adding error on the NCMC bid.
The lowest bid — submitted by NCMC, LLC of Baton Rouge — exceeded the project cost estimate by more than $463,000. The highest bid came in nearly three times the estimate.
Why Bids Ran So High
Arikol told the Public Works Committee that the state's LCDBG bidding structure creates a built-in challenge: cities must solicit bids before completing full inspections, meaning contractors are estimating costs without a complete picture of needed repairs.
"You're essentially guessing what you have to do," Arikol said. "Obviously it's an educated guess, but it is a guess."
He said the city now has contractor unit prices from the bid process, which will help refine the scope before going back out to bid. When work does begin, the approach will be to address the worst conditions first.
"You never have enough money to do it all," Arikol said. "But what we want to do is get the ones that are the biggest bang for our buck."
What's Next
The full Port Allen City Council is expected to formally vote to reject all bids at its meeting Wednesday, April 8, at 5:30 p.m. Rejection clears the way for the city to revise the contract scope and re-bid the project.
The Public Works Committee is chaired by Council Member Charlene Gordon, with Council Members Gregory Payne and April King.
The April 8 Port Allen City Council meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 375 Court Street, third floor. WBR Independent will provide coverage.
