The Williston Park village board unanimously voted to accept a $4.1 million bid from Landmark Structures to replace the 90-year-old Syracuse Street water tower during a special meeting on Friday.
The board also approved a $6.5 million bond over 20 years to fund the project.
Village officials had to decide between two bids presented to them last Monday by Bill Merklin, senior vice president of Woodbury-based D&B Engineers and Architects.
The engineering firm recommended the board pick Landmark, the less expensive of the two bids.
The higher bidder, Caldwell Tanks, had more experience than Landmark in building tanks of a similar style and size, according to Kevin Gallagher, Caldwell’s vice president, who was at Monday’s meeting.
Caldwell’s bid exceeded Landmark’s by more than $700,000.
Landmark had built one less than the requested specifications of having built at least 10 similar style tanks in the last year, Merklin said. All nine were smaller than the planned 500,000-gallon tank for the village, he said.
Mayor Paul Ehrbar said in an interview that the village has an obligation to choose the lowest bidder unless there are major concerns with the company.
“We believed that was the best way to go,” Ehrbar said.
Merklin also said Landmark has received “very good feedback” from references.
Work is set to begin in September and the project is expected to be completed by next June.
The project will also increase costs to the water fund, and water rates will be raised.
A public hearing will be held in the near future to determine the increase, but a date has not yet been set.
Ehrbar also said the village hopes the project will be under $6.5 million, but bonded more to have sufficient funds.
“If we don’t spend the whole, then we will return it one way or another to taxpayers,” he said.
The new tank will be placed at the same spot as the existing one, and will be the about the same height at 180 feet and hold the same amount of water.
It will be a pedesphere style – a steel tank with a smooth continuous sphere sitting atop a high pole.
Reach reporter Rebecca Klar by email at rklar@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 204, or follow her on Twitter @rebeccaklar_.
