Longboat Key may save $1.5 million on dredging

Earlier this year, the town of Longboat Key picked Norfolk Dredging Co. to mine Longboat Pass and New Pass for more than 400,000 cubic yards of sand for the island at a cost of $6.5 million. Ferreira Construction Southern Division Co. Inc. formally challenged the choice, as it had submitted a $5.7 million bid for the project.

But in a new round of bidding for the project, Norfolk has dropped its estimate to $5 million, according to a June 10 email from Town Manager Dave Bullock to commissioners. Ferreira submitted a $5.9 million bid, while Weeks Marine gave a $7.1 million estimate.

“We will now review the bids for compliance with bid requirements and make an award announcement,” wrote Bullock in the email.

It took a little longer than a month for town staff to vet the previous round of bidding.

In selecting Norfolk in April, Purchasing Manager Kari Kennedy disqualified Ferreira, the lowest bidder, for not submitting a waiver from the U.S. Coast Guard to do work in regulated areas. Town staff also determined Ferreira wouldn’t be able to handle the renourishment based on examples of similar projects the company submitted with its bid.

The town’s engineering consultant Olsen Associates drew up new, more specific bid documents and take new offers, said Public Works Director Juan Florensa in a previous interview with the Longboat Observer.

The winning firm will mine 200,000 cubic yards of sand from New Pass and 250,000 cubic yards of sand from Longboat Pass. The New Pass  project is scheduled to begin in July, while the Longboat Pass project is slated for September.