Grantsville picked the lowest of six bids for its sewer plant, and a lower-priced plant inspector over staff's choice
The council awarded construction of the new wastewater treatment plant to VanCon, whose bid was the lowest of six, in April. In May it chose a different inspection and testing firm than staff recommended, citing about $90,000 in savings and a score difference of less than one point.
Continuing story: Auditing Grantsville
Grantsville's City Council voted 4–0 on April 1, 2026 to approve Resolution 2026-18, awarding construction of the city's new wastewater treatment plant to VanCon, Inc. Councilmember Brittany Skinner was absent. [1]
Public Works Director Christy Montierth told the council the city received six bids from pre-qualified contractors and that VanCon was the lowest responsive bidder, within the engineer's projected budget, according to the minutes. [1]
The council approved the April 1 minutes 5–0 on May 6. [3]
The bids
The bid tabulation in the April 1 packet lists VanCon at $39,133,419.96 under "Cost" and $43,700,000.00 under "Cost + Equipment." The two figures overlap; the second includes the first. [2]
The other five bids ranged from $46,426,813.00 to $58,924,612.19 in the first column, and from $50,993,393.04 to $63,491,192.23 with equipment. [2]
The draft resolution in the packet states the award amount as $43,700,000.00 and authorizes the city manager to negotiate and sign the contract. Its signature lines are blank. [2]
City Manager Michael Resare said the design meets current requirements and leaves out some components to reduce cost, and that the plant is designed to be expandable, according to the minutes. [1]
The inspector
On May 6, the council considered Resolution 2026-33, selecting a firm for inspection and materials testing on the plant. The minutes say four firms submitted proposals, none fully complied with the submission instructions, and staff evaluated all four. [3]
Staff recommended Offeror C, which had the highest technical score and remained highest after cost was included. The council's motion instead selected Offeror B, citing a total point difference of less than one point and a cost savings of about $90,000 compared with Offeror C. [3]
City Attorney Tysen Barker advised that the council could award the contract based on its determination of the city's best interest, weighing scores and cost, as long as it stated its reasoning on the record, according to the minutes. The motion passed 5–0. [3]
The minutes do not name the firms behind the offeror letters. [3]
Bid and award amounts are not payments. The $90,000 figure is the difference the council cited between two proposals, not a realized saving.
Sources
- Grantsville City Council · April 1, 2026 minutes
- Grantsville City Council · April 1, 2026 amended agenda packet (bid tabulation, draft Resolution 2026-18, sewer rate study)
- Grantsville City Council · May 6, 2026 minutes
Reporting by The Utah Ledger from the public records above. AI-assisted, checked against those records.