Apache Junction’s plan to expand its city fiber network will take longer than expected. The City Council voted unanimously on December 16, 2025, to reject all nine bids for the fiber installation project. Every proposal exceeded the $1.25 million budget—the lowest bid came in nearly $900,000 over the city’s estimate. City staff will now redesign the project scope before seeking new bids.
High Costs Force Apache Junction Fiber Project Delay
The project aimed to complete a fiber optic loop connecting city government facilities across eight segments and roughly 48,000 feet. Facilities include the Apache Junction Library, Fire Station SMFD #262, Desert Vista Elementary, and Public Works.
The work is part of the city’s Fiber Optic Master Plan, a 20-year strategy to support future technology upgrades. A completed loop would add backup pathways to the network, improving reliability for connected facilities.
Assistant City Manager Matt Busby presented the disappointing results to the council. “We went out to bid and received nine bids,” he explained. “They came in way higher than we expected.”
The city had based its budget on engineering estimates. Unfortunately, those estimates did not hold up.
Nine Bids Submitted for Fiber Installation Project
The city posted Request for Bid IT2025-01 on September 4, 2025. It opened the sealed bids on November 3, 2025. All nine contractors submitted proposals far exceeding the allocated funds.
| Bidder | Bid Amount |
|---|---|
| Mears Broadband LLC | $2,133,202.37 |
| BPG Designs LLC | $2,341,583.67 |
| Pauley Construction LLC | $2,397,055.13 |
| TeamFishel | $2,471,555.03 |
| HP Communications Inc | $2,490,083.70 |
| Allo Fiber / Allo Communications | $2,817,602.00 |
| B&F Contracting Project Bid | $3,578,701.29 |
| MP NextLevel | $3,997,276.00 |
| Kimley-Horn | $4,596,900.00 |
Council Questions Why Fiber Installation Estimates Missed the Mark
Councilmember Bryan Soller asked city staff directly about the cost discrepancy. “How did we come that far off?” he inquired.
Busby acknowledged the difficulty in predicting construction costs. “When you go out to bid, you just never really know,” he said. “We based the budget off some engineering estimates, and sometimes things change right now quickly with inflation and other factors.”
Councilmember Bambi Johnson raised a practical concern. She asked whether contractors had provided itemized breakdowns. Such details could help identify priority segments for a scaled-back approach.
Busby confirmed the bids did not include those nuances. “They just responded to what we asked them to do, which was this full project,” he explained. Nevertheless, the experience prompted new thinking about procurement strategies.
Johnson suggested an alternative approach for future bids. “Maybe put it out for bid on option one or option two to give us a better view of what really is the dollar amount that we need to be targeting,” she said.
Busby agreed.
Council Votes to Reject All Fiber Installation Bids
Following the discussion, Councilmember Soller moved to approve the rejection of all proposals. The motion passed 7-0. Mayor Chip Wilson, Vice Mayor Robert Schroeder, and councilmembers Heck, Nesser, Cross, Johnson, and Soller all voted yes.
City Staff to Redesign Fiber Project Scope
No timeline was announced. Staff will re-engineer the project scope to fit available funding and explore alternative procurement methods.
