MONROE - The City of Monroe Common Council did not need to approve the hiring of Rock Road Companies, Inc. of Janesville as the general contractor on a street widening project to begin in March.
Council members discovered at a meeting Tuesday that, because the project is a state Department of Transportation project, their approval was not needed. Thus, the item was scratched from the agenda.
The city's Board of Public Works reviewed the bids for the stormwater and road reconstruction Monday and sent their recommendations to the council, unaware the state had already approved the lowest bid.
Rock Road Companies submitted the lowest bid at $3.1 million.
The 8th and 9th Street corridor, from 7th Avenue to 20th Avenue, will be widened to three lanes, and new stormwater sewer will be installed.
Mayor Bill Ross explained that the city entered into an agreement with the state for the project in 2010.
The street widening project is funded about 80 percent by federal, state and Department of Natural Resources grants. The grant funds are capped and any costs from change orders that go above the caps will be the city's responsibility to pay.
Some revisions to update the agreement are pending from the state.
The state is running concurrent with the city project to replace sanitary sewer and water lines along the same route.
The council accepted the bids for sewer and water improvement project Dec. 21 and awarded the contract to Dane County Contracting, LLC, Dane, Wis., for $851,000. The projects, totaling about $4.2 million, are expected to be completed in November.
Council members discovered at a meeting Tuesday that, because the project is a state Department of Transportation project, their approval was not needed. Thus, the item was scratched from the agenda.
The city's Board of Public Works reviewed the bids for the stormwater and road reconstruction Monday and sent their recommendations to the council, unaware the state had already approved the lowest bid.
Rock Road Companies submitted the lowest bid at $3.1 million.
The 8th and 9th Street corridor, from 7th Avenue to 20th Avenue, will be widened to three lanes, and new stormwater sewer will be installed.
Mayor Bill Ross explained that the city entered into an agreement with the state for the project in 2010.
The street widening project is funded about 80 percent by federal, state and Department of Natural Resources grants. The grant funds are capped and any costs from change orders that go above the caps will be the city's responsibility to pay.
Some revisions to update the agreement are pending from the state.
The state is running concurrent with the city project to replace sanitary sewer and water lines along the same route.
The council accepted the bids for sewer and water improvement project Dec. 21 and awarded the contract to Dane County Contracting, LLC, Dane, Wis., for $851,000. The projects, totaling about $4.2 million, are expected to be completed in November.