Seal Beach rejected all bids for the Lampson Avenue Median Improvement Project at the Monday, Sept. 26 City Council meeting.
Instead, the Public Works department will determine the possible cost of planting trees, bushes and flower beds on Lampson Avenue.
Staff originally asked the council to approve a contract with All American Asphalt, Inc, for $1,131,131.
However, District 4 Councilman Gary Miller suggested returning the state grant of $500,000 and using General Fund money for landscaping.
Miller said most of his constituents didn’t want any more construction in their area.
Miller also said the the project was under budgeted.
According to the staff report by Sean Crumby, director of Public Works and the assistant city manager, staff asked for alternative bids for the project to find out how much it would cost to postpone the Lampson project until after the West County Connector Project was finished.
All American Asphalt gave an alternative bid that was $69,000 higher than the base bid.
The second lowest bidder, Excel Paving, offered an alternative bid that was $370,000 higher than the base bid.
Crumby said it never looks good on paper to return grant money, but returning the state grant would not prevent Seal Beach from getting grant money in the future.
District 3 Councilman Gordon Shanks said he saw the logic in what Miller was suggesting. He agreed there was too much construction going on. However, he did not support spending the money the city had set aside for the Lampson project simply because it was there.
District 1 Councilman Ellery Deaton suggested having Crumby determine the cost of planting in the area and come back to the council.
Miller said that was what he was suggesting.
The council voted 5-0 to cancel the state grant and use a portion of the city money budgeted for the project for temporary improvement to Lampson.
City Attorney Quinn Barrow advised the council to formally reject all bids for the project.
The council voted 5-0 to reject all bids.
