Emergency final costs for Sinnissippi Dam stop logs purchase

This is an emergency procurement by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Office of Water Resources, to document final costs for the completed purchase of four additional stop logs for placement upstream of Gate 3 at Sinnissippi Dam in Rock Falls, Illinois. The stop logs are steel fabricated components designed to halt water flow through a failed gate section, enabling IDNR to maintain the upstream pool elevation at the required elevation of 636.1 feet until permanent repairs can be completed. The emergency arose from the failure of an inflatable Obermeyer bag in Gate 3, which created an uncontrolled water leak threatening the agency's ability to maintain minimum water supply requirements for the Hennepin Canal and Rock Falls Hydroelectric plant. The contract was awarded to Orsolini Welding Fabricators, located at 3034 W Carroll Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, as the sole responsive vendor following a solicitation to all vendors under NIGP code 570-68 (steel beam fabricators). The project timeline ran from March 20, 2025, through June 18, 2025, with the final contract certification occurring on April 7, 2026. No specific technical qualifications beyond capacity to fabricate and deliver steel stop logs within the compressed emergency timeline were identified, as the procurement emphasized delivery capability and cost competitiveness under emergency circumstances.

The procurement included Business Enterprise Program (BEP) certified contractors in the initial solicitation; however, none submitted responsive bids, and no existing state contracts were available to meet the emergency need. Orsolini Welding Fabricators was the only vendor to respond with cost and delivery time estimates when solicited under the emergency procurement process authorized by Maurice Mosley, Agency Procurement Officer, on March 20, 2025. The final total contract cost was $191,390.00, with an initial estimated expenditure of $179,530 in State Appropriated Funds documented in the emergency purchase statement. The procurement was categorized as an emergency purchase under Reference #26-422DNR-DIREC-B-51885 and was certified by Lisa Bulinski, Executive II, with documentation submitted to the Chief Procurement Office and the Auditor General as required for emergency contract procedures. No additional bidding opportunities or set-asides were available given the critical nature of the infrastructure failure and the compressed timeline required to prevent operational disruption.