Just because the City of Lathrop receives a number of bids doesn’t mean that they have to accept them.

Especially when the bids are received go against the city’s established rules governing the bidding process.

On Monday the Lathrop City Council voted to reject all of the bids that were received for the Woodfield Estates sewer pump station upgrades after it was discovered that the lowest bid – the one that would have typically been selected – also had an interest in a number of other submitted bids as a general contractor a subcontractor to complete the same work.

The project, which will upgrade the sewer lift station and allow for a connection to a 10-inch force main that will allow it’s flow to be pumped to the Manteca Water Quality Control Facility, will now have to undergo a new bidding process and be delayed as a result of the discovery.

According to the staff report for the item that was approved for the council, the winning contractor had an interest in three of the four bids that were submitted – which is a violation of the rules governing such a process.

Government contracts must typically be awarded to the lowest bidder capable of adequately handling the scope of the work that is being advertised, and as a result of the discrepancies the city must now post the job for a second time.

The name of the winning firm or the subsequent firms that also submitted bids that were ruled to be disqualified were not announced by the city.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.