On Thursday, the Naperville Park Board voted to waive its normal bidding process in order to expedite a fix to some water issues at Naperbrook Golf Course.
The staff arrive to no working water
In mid-December, Naperbrook staff arrived at the clubhouse at 22204 W. 111th St. and discovered the water was not working. They were able to reset the well and get it working for the time being, but reached out to contractors to get the well inspected, Park District Executive Director Brad Wilson said.
The inspection required the removal of the well, motor, and piping. The completion of the removal was on Wednesday, January 4 and the parts are being further inspected.
Because of the issue, there is currently no water service on site, and employees have had to travel off-site to use the restroom.
Naperville Park Board waives the normal bidding process
The costs to repair the well may go over $30,000, but with it being an emergency, the board decided to waive the normal competitive bidding process.
“To work through a bidding process, it could be close to 45 days from the time that we understand the scope of the work that needs to be done, put together the bid documents and advertise for the bid,” said Wilson. “Bids have to be available to vendors for a minimum of 10 days, and then there’s bid opening and evaluation of bids and the approval process that goes with that.”
The move by the board allows for a quicker fix to the problem. Board members agreed that this type of situation calls for emergency protocol.
“I think it’s reasonable since this is an emergency, there is no water, you need water… This truly is what we would consider exactly as the type of emergency you need to act quickly,” said Park Board Commissioner Marie Todd.
What to expect next from the Naperville Park Board
Wilson expects a report back from the contractor sometime this week. He’s hoping to update the board on the situation at the next meeting, on January 19.
Naperville News 17’s Joe Kennedy reports.
Have a story idea? Send us a tip!
