Geneva City Council OKs no-bid contract for plumbing inspection services

GENEVA – The Geneva City Council Monday approved an independent contractor agreement for a plumbing plan review and inspection services in a $95,000 no-bid contract.

The contract is with First Inspection Services Inc. in Batavia.

State law requires the city to provide professional review and inspection services for all new or modified plumbing systems, City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins said.

“First Inspection Services has only increased their fees once in the 11 years they have been working with the city,” Dawkins said. “The current contract would include some adjustments to the fee schedule to compensate for increased and overhead costs and inflation, since the last increase six years ago.”

All costs associated with plumbing inspections and plan review fees are passed on to the permit applicant, Dawkins said.

The new contract would commence May 1 and continue through the city’s 2025 and 2026 fiscal years.

Second Ward Alderperson Bradley Kosirog questioned why the contract was not bid out seeking a lower cost.

Building Commissioner Brian Byrne said maintaining the city’s ongoing relationship with the company for the quality and continuity of the service and the company’s expansive knowledge of the plumbing codes.

“Continuity of services is extremely important right now,” Bryne said. “We have a big job going on on the east side that we started about a year go. And we’re is mid-stream with that process. ... We’ve probably done 40 to 50 inspections there already involving plumbing.”

Byrne said it was not that the staff did not consider going to bid, but in his opinion, the continuity of service from a known company was more important.

Kosirog said if there had not been an increase in cost, he would be more apt to agree about not going out to bid.

“I think it’s just the responsible thing to do to make sure that the cost we are asking our taxpayers to pay for is in line,” Kosirog said. “And without the bidding process, I have no idea. I’m not hearing any unique reason here.”

Third Ward Alderperson Becky Hruby asked if all plumbers knew the plumbing code.

Byrne said the company’s expertise covers all aspects of plumbing, from residential and to complicated commercial remodeling inspections.

In particular, the company is doing inspections at the infrastructure expansion underway at General Mills in the city’s industrial park, which involves new sanitary sewer lines.

“Most plumbers know the code in the area they work,” Bryne said. “It’s rare that you have somebody that has experience on all spectrums of the code.”

Dawkins said the state has an unfunded mandate from 2013 that requires all the municipalities to have a plumbing inspector.

And as lead water lines are to be replaced, qualified plumbing services will be in demand, Dawkins said.

“There’s not even enough plumbers that are licensed right now to do the city of Chicago, much less the state of Illinois,” Dawkins said. “I believe to keep our consistency and to keep our plumber at a good rate that we have a relationship with would be in the city’s best interest.”

A motion to amend the contract to one year instead of two failed.

The council voted 9-0 with one absent in favor of the two-year no bid contract. Fourth Ward Alderperson Amy Mayer was absent.