Commissioners have reversed their decision to award an election board renovation contract, citing an error in bid documents.

Friday, February 04, 2000

Commissioners have reversed their decision to award an election board renovation contract, citing an error in bid documents.

State bid requirements call for three separate construction contracts to be awarded – general, mechanical and electrical contracting, commissioners said.

"So we have to reject all bids and bid the repairs again," commissioner Paul Herrell said, adding that the contracts were not separated originally.

Planned renovations include major repairs to the floor, walls and work spaces of the Lawrence County Election Board office on the first floor of the courthouse.

The commission first advertised for bids last year, but rejected them because of cost overruns. By law, the county has to reject a bid that is more than 10 percent over the construction estimate, commissioners said.

Then, the county awarded the bid to Meade Construction of Ashland, Ky., the only bidder, at its Dec. 28 meeting. That bid came in at $204,703, lower than an original $277,000 bid.

Commissioners met in closed executive session Thursday with project administrators and assistant prosecutor Jeff Smith, who serves as the county’s legal representative.

"That was the advice from the prosecutor’s office, that because of a legal problem with the contract we have to bid it again," Herrell said, adding to the threat of a lawsuit if the project is not rebid.

Advertising will begin again next week and run for three weeks, then the commission will open bids again, he said.

That means work on the election board’s first-floor courthouse office can still begin March 27, just after the primary election, Herrell added.

"We will still be on schedule."

Officials estimate the work will take three months.

In other action Thursday, commissioners:

– Requested county engineer David Lynd meet with a property owner on Township Road 12 in Proctorville to discuss a road drainage problem.

– Referred a request from Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department for grant funding to the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization. The township is seeking Community Development Block Grant funding to replace a fire truck.