Bids for the renovation of the Tomah municipal center came in lower than anticipated. The low base bid for the project submitted by Hehl Grohn, Inc, Altoona, totalled $273,908. The project estimate was $314,000.

Brendan Kress of Strand and Associates, Madison, the firm charged with doing the design work for the project, said 12 general contractors submitted bids. Kress said that all of the bids were fairly close. The project will include a complete renovation of the vacated space occupied by the Tomah Police Department until last fall when the department moved into the Police Building next door to City Hall. That portion of the building was constructed in the 1930s and will receive work to its fire protection systems, heating, ventilation and issues with asbestos.

Hehl Grohn also will do two related projects, roof replacement and painting. The firm bid $48,065 and $5,750, respectively, for the work.

Bids for the project were reviewed by the city Public Works and Utilities Commission Wednesday and sent on to the Tomah Common Council with a recommendation for approval. The project will be taken up at the Nov. 10 council session.

Ken Patterson, director of Public Works and Utilities, said the project came in under budget and the bids were extremely good.

Lake project

In other action, the commission approved a bid for the Lake Tomah shoreline restoration project, accepting the low bid of $42,120 submitted by Gerke Excavation, one of two bidders for the work. The work will be paid out of grant monies for the lake renovation project.

Also approved was a $17,756 quote for another phase of the project shaping islands and placing 40 tree structures in the lake for fish habitat.

The quote was approved. Commission member Joanne Westpfahl voted no, saying that she felt the structures and fish cribs already in the lake were a hazard and should be removed. Westpfahl said nothing was being done for the water skiers that also use the lake.

John Cram, who offered the motion to approve the work, said the idea was to make the lake both a fishing and recreational facility.

The commission also got an update on the Hollister Avenue project which is expected to be bid in January or February of 2010. The survey for the project is expected to be competed in the next couple of weeks.

Patterson said the project will necessitate removal of a large number of trees. He proposed planting new trees in boulevards or offering property owners the option to have trees planted on their property if a boulevard planting is not possible.