Still partway through phase one, the Shell Rock River Watershed District is already checking off to-do items in preparation for phase two of the Fountain Lake dredging project.

Board members Tuesday approved another contract with J.F. Brennan Co. Inc., the dredging and marine construction company responsible for the first phase of dredging that began in spring 2018 and is intended to wrap up this fall. The phase two contract is to begin dredging in Fountain Lake’s main bay. According to the advertisement for bids put out by the Watershed District, the contract includes dredging approximately 604,000 cubic yards of sediment — with the potential for an increase to 704,000 cubic yards — as well as operation of the confined disposal facilities.

J.F. Brennan submitted the lowest bid price, just under $4.99 million, of three bids considered by the best value committee. The highest bid submitted was just over $8.85 million.

Magruder Construction Co. Inc. submitted a bid not considered by the committee because it was considered incomplete.

Of 100 points possible to receive in the committee’s evaluation score, J.F. Brennan Co. Inc. received 96 for its bid. Factors considered included project cost, technical qualifications, technical approach, construction sequence and schedule and a proposed weir system and operation of CDF cells.

“I think the best value committee did a thorough job — discussed all bidders, assigned scores,” board manager Mike Hanson said. “Brennan was, overall, the best selection.”

“Brennan’s here,” Hanson said. “The dredge is sitting out there on the lake, so … maybe that gave them a little bit more of an incentive to keep it here, keep it working, so it’ll probably give us a better approach to our continuity of the project.”

Vice Chairman Mick Delger said committee members all scored fairly consistently among them.

“We went over everything very thoroughly, and the outcome was what we wanted,” he said.

Board Secretary Dan DeBoer asked Administrator Andy Henschel to speak about project costs, noting the district went out for state bonding dollars in 2006 and market prices continue to rise.

“It really helped us once we were able to bid the project phase one, or contract one, it really helped us see what those costs would be,” Henschel said. “And I think we’re seeing a pretty decent cost. I think it’s a little bit higher maybe than, again, what we predicted in 2006, but again, you’re talking 13 years in there. I think we’re getting a favorable cost from J.F. Brennan.”

Board manager Joe Pacovsky asked whether the Watershed District would need to obtain additional grants to fund the second phase of the dredging project.

“We feel that the budget is there,” Henschel said. “There’s a few things we may have to rearrange as far as timing-wise, but staff is comfortable that the money is there.”

In other action:

The board approved a $21,800 bid from Barr Engineering to prepare the 2018 annual water monitoring report, which will be presented at the annual meeting in March by conservation technician Scott Christenson.

Henschel gave an overview of legislative session priorities for the district, including grant requests the district has put in through the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. Henschel said government relations consultant Judy Erickson will spend time connecting with new faces in the Legislature, and the district will also be keeping an eye on requests made by the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts.