Litchfield Waives Bidding for Campground Water Main, OKs Two Change Orders

Article Summary: The council unanimously approved buying materials for an 8-inch water main and two fire hydrants at the Lake Lou Yaeger campground project from Midwest Municipal Supply for up to $27,958.17, waiving sealed-bid requirements, and approved two Stutz Excavating change orders totaling $80,740 for the labor to install the main and for additional fill.

Campground Water Main Key Points:

$27,958.17 to Midwest Municipal Supply for materials — the lowest of three quotes, approved under a resolution waiving normal bidding procedures.

$60,260 change order to Stutz Excavating, Inc. for the labor to install the main; $20,480 change order for hauling, placing and final grading of additional fill on the south side of the expansion area.

The existing 2-inch line along Park Road that serves the Bicentennial Campground is too small for the new campground; the new 8-inch main can be extended to Beach House Trail later for redundancy.

Staff said the water main “was not called out in the plans for the project.”

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, unanimously approved three items totaling $108,698.17 to get water and fire protection to the city’s expanded campground at Lake Lou Yaeger, including a resolution waiving competitive bidding so materials could be bought without a full sealed-bid process.

Alderperson Robbin Huffman, who carries the council’s lake portfolio, made all three motions. Alderperson Bob Garcia seconded the materials purchase and the second change order.

The problem, according to the packet, is a pipe far too small for the job. “There is currently a 2″ water line along Park Road that feeds the existing Bicentennial Campground,” the staff memo says. “This water line is not large enough to feed the new campground so staff has determined that an 8″ water main that can extend to Beach House Trail in the future for a redundant water line is the best course of action.” Two fire hydrants will be installed on the new main.

Three Quotes Instead of Sealed Bids

The materials purchase came to the council as a resolution waiving normal and customary bidding procedures. The memo explains why: “By State Statute, anything over $25,000 is to go out for formal sealed bids unless otherwise approved by Council. Due to the time sensitivity of the project, staff recommends approving the lowest quote.”

An alderperson asked from the floor whether the waiver was because Midwest Municipal Supply was the only vendor able to do the work. A city staff member said it was not — the request covered only materials, and the need had surfaced late.

“This is just for the procurement of the materials,” the staff member said. “Unfortunately this was not called out in the plans for the project. So we had an onsite meeting and then Dominic and I discussed and determined that, in order to keep the project moving, we do need to move forward.”

The staff member said the quotes came in over $25,000, “which typically triggers like a full sealed bid process. So what we did is we still got three quotes from municipal suppliers and then we picked the lowest quote of those three.”

All three quotes are in the packet. Midwest Municipal Supply of Caseyville quoted $27,958.17 on a bid dated July 31, 2026, and valid through Aug. 30 — a two-page itemization covering 580 feet of 8-inch DR-18 C-900 PVC pipe at $16.14 per foot, two 5.25-inch Mueller three-way hydrants at $3,893 each, gate valves, tees, anchoring couplings, valve boxes and hot-tap material. Schulte Supply, Inc. of Edwardsville quoted $29,018.82 on Aug. 11, taxes not included. IMCO Utility Supply Co. of Springfield quoted $32,609.30 across 19 lines on a quote entered Aug. 10.

Alderperson Huffman’s motion, as read, approved the purchase “for an amount not to exceed $27,958.17.”

Labor, Fill and a Run of Change Orders

The first Stutz Excavating change order, for not more than $60,260, covers the labor to install the materials the city is buying. The Alton contractor’s proposal, dated Aug. 14, 2026, lists the scope as performing a tap on the existing main and includes clarifications stating the firm is not responsible for unforeseen conditions, permits and fees, unmarked underground utilities, existing piping or engineered drawings, and that additional charges apply “if hot tap cannot be made on existing main.” Portions of the proposal as printed in the public packet are blacked out; the visible price line reads “Labor: $60,260.00.”

The second change order, for not more than $20,480, is unrelated to the water main. Stutz is doing grading for the campground expansion, and “during construction, it was determined that the south side of the expansion area requires additional fill material to meet the project’s grading requirements,” the memo says. The city, through the Public Works Department, is supplying the material and loading services; Stutz is responsible for hauling, placement and final grading to the required elevations and site contours.

Mayor Jacob Fleming used the second change order to ask how many more the council should expect. “I know these are all kind of associated with one project. We’ve had kind of a lot of change orders,” he said. “I know you can’t ever guarantee, but are we looking pretty good? Has the project been vetted pretty well?”

Staff said the site had been walked. “We went through it and walked the ground and identified some of those deficiencies,” a staff member said. “So I’m hoping at this point that we can minimize the effects.” Staff added that any further change orders “would be anything unforeseeable rather than plan issues.”

The supporting resolution for the $60,260 order records the council’s findings that the circumstances were not reasonably foreseeable when the contract was signed, that the change is germane to the original contract, and that it is in the city’s best interest and authorized by law. The packet says project funds are available for both change orders and for the materials.

City documents refer to the work under several names, including the Lake Lou Yaeger Campground Improvements project, the Bicentennial Campground Expansion project and “the new campground”; the contractor’s own proposal gives the project location as Diamond Ridge Campground.