Photo by Caroline Miller
The Chelsea City Council meets at Chelsea City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026.
The Chelsea City Council on Tuesday night rejected all the bids received by the city for a construction project at Chelsea City Hall due to bids being over budget.
“Upstairs, we’ve got just an open area above the council chambers and the conference room and it’s just a huge, unfinished area,” Chelsea Mayor Cody Sumners said. “So we’re looking to finish that out, adding office space, a conference room and a general break area for the second floor. It adds a total of nine offices and then the conference room and break area.”
According to city records, the city received five bids from various construction companies with a base bid ranging from $525,000 to $758,000 and a total bid with optional add-ons ranging from $598,000 to $896,000.
But the city’s budget for the project was $375,000 for the buildout and $100,000 for furniture and equipment, for a total of $475,000, Sumners said.
The City Council decided to reject all the bids received and plans to reduce the scope of the project and seek new bids for the revised specifications, he said.
He wasn’t sure how the project will be adjusted, but he expects the buildout to be completed within the next year.
In other business Tuesday, the City Council agreed to close a bank account that handled federal funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act now that all those funds have been obligated and expenditures completed.
The council plans to have a special work session on Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m., and the next regular council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 15, with a work session at 5 p.m. and action meeting at 6 p.m.
