Rock Springs returns $691,221 to sewer reserves as WRF solar dryer contract closes

Rock Springs returns $691,221 to sewer reserves as WRF solar dryer contract closesRock Springs City Council unanimously approved a closeout change order cutting the Bodell Construction Company contract for the Water Reclamation Facility solar drying facility by $691,220.65. The returned funds will be directed to the utility's depreciation-account reserve through a future budget amendment.

Resolution 2026-131 was approved unanimously on October 6, reducing the Bodell Construction contract by $691,220.65.

The action brief described the change as the conformance or closeout change order for the Rock Springs WRF solar drying facility contract.

The city said the reduction relates to money taken from sewer enterprise-account reserves; it will return to the depreciation-account reserve through a future budget amendment.

Staff said specific-purpose-tax funding and an ARPA grant awarded for the project had already been used, with no conflict created by the contract reduction.

Separately, the city received two bids for a WRF CCTV pipeline inspection system, at $364,160 and $378,926.09, for staff evaluation.

Rock Springs has reduced the final cost of its Water Reclamation Facility solar drying facility by $691,220.65, with the money set to return to the wastewater utility's reserve for depreciation and future equipment replacement. City Council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-131 on October 6, authorising Change Order No. 1 with Bodell Construction Company. The agenda described the action as reducing the contract amount by $691,220.65 in order to close out the contract. The council's action brief characterised the change as the “conformance or closeout change order” for the Rock Springs WRF solar drying facility. A city representative said the reduction would be returned to the depreciation-account reserve through a future budget amendment. During the discussion, officials clarified that the returned amount had come from reserves in the sewer enterprise account. Specific-purpose-tax funding and an ARPA grant received for the project had already been utilised, according to staff. In response to a question over whether the reduction created complications because of the project's use of specific-purpose-tax funding, staff said there was “no conflict there.” The mayor noted that the city's water and water-reclamation operations are required to be self-funding, and that rate revenue for those services cannot be transferred to the general fund for functions such as streets, police, fire, or parks and recreation. The mayor said that returning almost $700,000 to the water-reclamation fund was helpful given equipment-replacement costs anticipated over the next 10 years. The closeout action came as the city also opened bids for a CCTV pipeline inspection system for the WRF. Officials described the system as the facility's video van used to inspect pipes across the plant. TenPoint Sales and Marketing of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, submitted a bid of $364,160, while Western Precision LLC of Robertson, Wyoming, bid $378,926.09. The latter submission included a bid bond; staff said they could not locate one in the first bid. The bids were referred to staff for evaluation and recommendation. No award for the pipeline-inspection system was made during the meeting.