The Anna Maria City Pier’s fractured walkway might not be around much longer.
City commissioners unanimously voted May 29 to authorize Mayor Mark Short to execute an agreement with Bradenton-based Quality Marine Construction Inc., for the demolition and debris removal of the walkway.
The 800-plus-foot walkway was destroyed by last fall’s hurricanes and the city plans to demolish what remains so it can rebuild with superior materials.
The city published a request for proposals for the project in April and received two bids before the May 16 submission deadline.
Those include a $239,500 bid from Quality and a $2,197,658.15 from Washington-based Ballard Marine Construction, which has an office in Bradenton.
The municipality also received two bids after its deadline had passed, from Bradenton-based Tangerine Group Inc., and Fort Pierce-based Underwater Engineering Services Inc.
Those bids were rejected due to not being submitted on time.
The discrepancy between the two qualifying bids left little decision for city officials, who questioned Ballard’s proposal.
Short said he did not understand why Ballard’s bid was so much more expensive.
“I cannot explain the logic behind (it), other than perhaps not being local,” he said.
On the other hand, Short said Quality’s bid came in “on the low end” of a range of bid prices the city’s engineers told him to expect.
Due to the discrepancy in bids and Quality’s recent demonstration of local work, including the demolition of the Seafood Shack in Cortez, Short recommended the city pursue their bid over Ballard’s.
Commissioner Christopher Arendt moved to approve Short’s recommendation and authorize him to execute an agreement with Quality.
Commissioner Gary McMullen seconded the motion, which passed.
There was no public comment.