During the Aug. 3 Carbon County Commission meeting, discussion was held in regard to awarding the contract for the construction of the Ridge Road sewer line project. The commissioners also discussed the possible approval of a contract with Jones and DeMille Engineering for inspection, testing, construction staking and bidding assistance.
Commission Chair Larry Jensen explained that this is in regard to a bid opening that was hosted last week, with four bids that were submitted. Bid amounts and the companies they were from were discussed and it was stated by a county employee and a representative of Jones and DeMille that there were various documents required with the submission.
After evaluation, it was discovered that although H&H was the low bid, they were missing a few items, such as signing the bid. Based on the review, it was the opinion to the commission that Johansen Instruction Inc. fulfilled all requirements, submitted the documents and were in compliance.
Commissioner Jensen explained that in 2021, the county received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and it was deemed that water, sewer and broadband were the three areas that fit the requirements in terms of how the funds could be utilized. Jones and DeMille Engineering was then hired to conduct a feasibility study for the airport and to install sewer lines on Ridge Road where industrial growth is a goal.
Through the engineering of the project with Jones and DeMille, the bid awarding was the culmination of that part of the work. The sewer pipe has been purchased and the manhole material for the project had already been ordered due to lead time.
Supplies are being pushed out a bit and though they had been told that the materials would arrive by August, it is now expected that they will arrive in the fall. With this in mind, it is likely that the project will begin the in early November. The sewer line will be extended from Price River Water Improvement District’s main line.
The bids were advertised for about three weeks. Those that wished to be awarded needed to attend the free bid conference and fill out the bid amounts, ensure that the bid was tallied and totaled, and include information about the bidders.
Commissioner Casey Hopes stated that he wished to follow the recommendation and approved Johansen Construction Inc. In regard to the contract with Jones and DeMille, it was explained that the letter is an estimate of the cost that would be incurred. The county has contracts in place with both engineering firms that are general service-type agreements.
Much of the legal language is already set forth and reflects how the county works with professional services to provide what is needed. As projects come along, this makes the process of selecting a bid more streamlined as they may move forward quickly as much of the documentation is already in place. Ultimately, both items were approved.