Rolling Meadows street repairs hit snag

Disappointed that only one company bid to resurface streets this year, the Rolling Meadows City Council on Tuesday rejected the contractor but did approve $130,000 worth of sidewalk and curb and gutter replacements.

R.W. Dunteman Co. of Addison was the lone bidder for street resurfacing and replacement, and that offering was $50,000 over the engineer’s estimate and $80,000 too high when second-option streets were added.

Bidders were scarce because the $500,000 budgeted is a small project, and the May request for bids was late in the season, a staff report said.

The staff recommended adding 10 to 20 days to the 30-day completion requirement and removing the requirement that only contractors that own or control an asphalt plant be allowed to bid.

The badly damaged Bluebird Lane from Hawk Lane to Grouse Lane is the big loser as it had been on the second-option list but now is removed.

Elizabeth Place remains on the schedule to be rebuilt at an estimated cost of $270,000, by far the most expensive part of the project. Other streets still on the list are to be resurfaced only: Azalea, Bayberry and Teaberry courts; Pheasant Drive from Starling Lane to the end and Golf Place and part of Lois Drive. Moved from the list to a second option that contractors can also bid on are Mayflower, Lavender, Kieth and Debra courts.

Next year, the street resurfacing and rebuilding budget should be set in the fall instead of in December to allow February bidding, and the city should consider joining with a neighboring municipality to offer a larger job, the report said.

The sidewalk work will be in the Hills or Brookmeade/Sycamore area, the Owl Drive area and west of Plum Grove Road.

Of three companies bidding, Globe Construction Co. of Addison was the lowest at $144,250, but still above the $130,000 budgeted. So the city will reduce the amount of sidewalk to be replaced from 20,000 square feet to 17,300.