Wasco City Council reopens bids for camp cleanuop

At a special meeting on Tuesday, the City Council repealed its Dec. 5 acceptance of the Resource Environmental Inc. bid for the Wasco Farm Labor Camp demolition and cleanup project

Currently, the labor camp is at the step of abatement, which is making sure that the materials that need to be removed are properly disposed of from the site, such as lead paint and materials containing asbestos.

On Nov. 14, seven bids were received for the project. Following the Dec. 5 city council meeting, staff received additional inquiries and requests to clarify various aspects of the RFP (request for proposal).

After consultation with the city attorney, staff concluded that ambiguities may exist in the RFP that may result in miscommunications about the project. The council rejected all seven bids, and the city will issue a new request for proposal to clarify the specifications.

"The matter with the old farm labor housing complex has been a long time coming, and it behooves the city to cross its t's and dot its i's, and this process allows us to clarify the RFP and ensure that this project doesn't experience any more delays," Mayor Pro Tem Alex Garcia said.