Tyler Johnson
[email protected]
ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING (October 6, 2020) – The Rock Springs City Council approved a contract to William H. Smith Associates, Inc. for the Bitter Creek Restoration Project in the amount of $303,640 in Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting.
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The council seven-to-one in favor of the resolution with Mayor Tim Kaumo being the only one to vote no. To learn more about the Bitter Creek Restoration Project, click here.
Before the council voted on the issue, Kaumo said the council received complaints about JFC Engineers and Surveyors being awarded the contract back on July 21. According to Kaumo’s Facebook page, he is currently the president of JFC.
Kaumo said that the resubmittal process of the RFPs (Request for Proposal) was not fair, adding that two other firms had not planned for a landscape architect and erosion specialist.
“In all hopes, nonetheless, the end goal is to see this project move forward as it’s critical in removing businesses and residents out of the flood plain and will eventually help in the development in the areas adjacent to the creek channel,” he said.
He said this is only the first phase in a four-phase project. “The remaining three phases will take much work and much money as this phase did,” he said.
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Mark Madsen, who is in business development for William H. Smith, attended Tuesday’s meeting and Kaumo asked him to step forward to answer to provide information as to why William H. Smith is without a Wyoming licensed landscape architect and another associate of theirs is without a Wyoming business license, which are two requirements. William H. Smith have both licensed in Idaho.
Madsen said that William H. Smith anticipates that the landscape architect will have his Wyoming license in time for the restoration, but added that he needed to do research about the status of the William H. Smith’s associate and its business license.
“My concern is we’re getting ready to award a $300,000 contract to a firm, which –don’t get me wrong – I respect William H. Smith, with no Wyoming license and no business license in Wyoming,” Kaumo said.
Kaumo asked the same question to the council, which had two members on the committee.
Councilor Tim Savage said that the committee evaluated every firm and that he expects the issues to be resolved.
Councilor Rob Zotti then asked the mayor why he was bringing up these issues right before the council is to award the contract. Kaumo responded that the issues were brought to his attention Tuesday afternoon and that he now just wants to see this project through.
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