The Fall River Redevelopment Authority voted to approve Amendment No. 1 to an agreement with Foth Infrastructure and Environment LLC, authorizing time-and-materials services not to exceed $36,000 for bid support and construction management of a cathodic protection project for the City Pier.

Project staff told the authority the bid package will be posted April 2, a pre-bid on-site meeting is scheduled for April 9 (rain or shine) and bids are due April 17; the authority expects to consider a contractor at the following board meeting. "The package will be ready April 2," Project Manager Karen Martin said during the meeting.

The cathodic protection design calls for 109 sacrificial anodes located along the perimeter of the pier's sheet piling. Martin described each anode as "like 5 inches wide, 5 inches deep by, like, 3 feet long" and said they weigh about 90 pounds. Installation will include continuity (knuckle) welding, welding tabs to the sheet piling, epoxy over the welds and testing. Martin said the method is intended to extend the life of the steel pilings and that engineers "anticipate" roughly 20 years of protection, while noting site-specific results may vary.

Staff described two alternates the engineer prioritized to reduce long-term corrosion risk if budget allows: an epoxy coating over interlocks above mean low water and a heavier "splash-zone" epoxy (an intertidal mastic) in the zone repeatedly exposed by tides. Martin said the alternates will be priced with square-foot unit costs so the authority can add scope later if the bids and contingency permit.

Preliminary cost guidance in the meeting included a ballpark figure of about $213,000 to $215,000 for the anodes and system "including furnishing and install," although staff cautioned final numbers will come from bids and mobilization costs are additional. The authority's March 2025 warrant, presented earlier in the meeting, totaled $56,746.65.

The amendment to Foth, described as time-and-material billing to support the bid process and provide construction management, was moved and seconded during the open meeting and approved by voice vote. Meeting minutes record the roll-call affirmations: John Erickson (yes), Joan Maderas (yes), Ben Feidelberg (yes) and Anne Keane (yes).

Why it matters: Authority staff said the cathodic protection targets the only portion of the pier that is regularly hit by water — the sheet piling around the perimeter — and is intended to prevent progressive corrosion that would otherwise shorten the structure's service life. The authority also included permit coverage for the whole project now so additional future scope would not require separate permitting.

Other authority business at the meeting included updates on grant applications and planning work: staff reported an expression of interest filed for Pleasant Street planning grants (including a potential $150,000 planning grant and a $50,000 feasibility grant) and a separate $50,000 vacant-storefront tax-credit program request. Staff also said they had submitted material supporting nomination of the City Pier as a brownfields remediation project; the authority has been invited to an awards reception Wednesday, June 4, at City Winery in Boston.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to approve open session minutes from Feb. 26: approved (voice roll-call recorded: John Erickson — yes; Joan Maderas — yes; Anne Keane — yes).
- Motion to approve Amendment No. 1 to Foth Infrastructure and Environment LLC for bid support and construction management services related to the City Pier cathodic protection project, time-and-materials not to exceed $36,000: approved (recorded affirmations: John Erickson — yes; Joan Maderas — yes; Ben Feidelberg — yes; Anne Keane — yes).

The authority concluded the open session by moving into an executive session to discuss strategy for a potential real estate transaction at 45 Anawatt Street and other corridor-area matters; the body did not return to open session.

Sources: Meeting transcript and staff presentations at the open session.