Ventura council to weigh bid protest on $44.7M State Water pipeline project

The Ventura City Council will consider a bid protest from Mountain Cascade, Inc. over the State Water Interconnection Pipeline project at its July 14 meeting, according to the city council agenda packet posted July 9.

Mountain Cascade challenged the city engineer's determination of the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the project, which would connect Ventura's water system to the State Water Project. The city engineer denied the protest, and staff are asking the council to uphold that decision.

If the council backs staff, it would authorize the city manager to execute a construction contract with the determined lowest bidder for roughly $38.9 million, with a 15 percent contingency of $5.8 million bringing the total not-to-exceed amount to $44.7 million. The contract would run 1,098 consecutive calendar days from the notice to proceed, per the agenda packet.

The project also requires separate professional services agreements. Kennedy/Jenks Consultants would provide construction management services for $4.5 million, with a contract completion date of October 31, 2029. Stantec Consulting Services would handle engineering during construction for $2.2 million, with work continuing through March 18, 2030. Both agreements include contingency allowances.

The State Water Interconnection Pipeline is designed to give Ventura a backup water supply and reduce reliance on local groundwater and the Ventura River.