Nearly six months after the Haines Borough rescinded its Request for Qualifications for Lutak Dock improvements, a new draft document has emerged, inching the project forward.
The borough’s draft Request for Proposals solicits licensed design firms to provide three engineered designs for potential fixes at the dilapidated Lutak Dock. The work should not exceed $100,000.
The selected firm would be responsible for providing three conceptual design options: 1) Constructing a new dock face outside the existing wall, anchoring the structure back, and keeping the dock size and functionality the same, 2) Demolishing the existing dock and replacing it with a dock of the same size and capacity, and 3) Providing consultant design recommendations.
Designs would address priorities such as preserving maximum life expectancy, using a construction model that doesn’t interfere with current operations, and allowing for facility expansion in the event of future demand.
The firms would be evaluated on eight criteria, such as overall qualifications, cost of services and local bidder preference.
Interim manager Brad Ryan said he wants to get feedback on the draft from the Port and Harbor Advisory Committee before developing the final RFP. The committee’s next meeting isn’t yet scheduled.
“It kind of depends on what they come back with and whether they like it or not,” Ryan said when asked when he hopes to have the RFP finalized.
It’s unclear what role the Lutak Dock working group will have in the process, as it hasn’t met for months. The group was created by former manager David Sosa to work on developing a plan for fixing the structure.
“I don’t know if they are going to get their wheels back under them or not,” Ryan said of the group.
PND Engineers released a report on the dock in October 2014 stating the structure is “near the edge” and “living on borrowed time.” The report also said the structure was failing in several areas and does not meet current safety standards set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.