Sioux City terminates Kiewit preconstruction contract for WWTP Phase I

Sioux City terminates Kiewit preconstruction contract for WWTP Phase IThe City Council unanimously approved the termination of the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) agreement, as officials also worked to smooth over customer concerns regarding recent water rate hikes.

The council terminated Kiewit Infrastructure Co.'s role as Construction Manager at Risk for Phase I of the WWTP improvements.

The action was pulled for a separate roll-call vote but passed unanimously without debate on the reasons for termination.

Council members addressed a recent influx of customer complaints regarding higher water bills, attributing the alarm to a misunderstanding of the rate structure.

The council also approved a $16,889 change order for KP Construction for an additional manhole replacement.

During its August 3, 2026 meeting, the Sioux City Council unanimously voted to terminate its contract with Kiewit Infrastructure Co. for preconstruction services on Phase I of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Facility Plan Improvements Project. Kiewit had been serving as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for the facility upgrade. Mayor Robert E. Scott requested the item be pulled from the consent agenda for a separate roll-call vote, which subsequently passed without any public discussion from the council or staff regarding the reasons for the termination or the next steps for the WWTP project procurement. In other water infrastructure business, the council approved a $16,889 change order to KP Construction, Inc. for an additional manhole as part of the FY 2026 Manhole Replacement Project, and accepted a permanent easement and post-construction stormwater management plan maintenance agreement with Morningside University for a detention basin. Meanwhile, city officials are navigating customer concerns regarding recent water rate adjustments. During the council concerns segment of the meeting, a council member addressed recent public pushback over utility statements. The council member noted that they had received around a dozen phone calls from residents alarmed by higher bills, attributing the reaction to a "misunderstanding" over how the rate increases were calculated and presented on the bills, adding that the individual issues with concerned customers had been successfully explained and resolved.