The Edward Wilmoth Blyden Marine Terminal on St. Thomas.
The V.I. Port Authority's governing board approved urgent repairs to the perimeter fencing at the Edward Wilmoth Blyden Marine Terminal on St. Thomas.
Kate Davis, VIPA's Procurement and Contract Manager, said that during the annual assessment of marine facilities carried out last week, it was noted that the security fence had been “significantly deteriorated.” This, according to Ms. Davis, “poses a risk of incurring non-compliance penalties unless it is promptly repaired.”
Repairs on the fence were already scheduled for VIPA's 2026 fiscal year, however based upon the current condition of the structure, the Coast Guard, who participated in the assessment, “actually requested that we complete this…within the next 90 days.”
With the repair timeline brought forward, Ms. Davis told the board that quotations for the work had been requested and received. “After reviewing the bids to identify the most competitive and responsible offer, it is recommended that the contract be awarded to Julian's Welding for the total sum of $114,000,” Ms. Davis said. “This recommendation follows a thorough analysis of the submitted bids, considering not just the pricing but also service quality of the contractors, previous experience, and their capabilities to fulfill the Authority's requirements,” she explained.
Board members had no qualms or queries about the recommendation or the work at hand, and swiftly voted to ratify the recommendation from staff.
During the meeting – short by VIPA standards – board members also discussed ongoing projects in both districts, and the status of various leases of Authority property.
