The Page County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a $238,900 bid from Mahoney Fire Sprinkler (Omaha) to install the fire‑suppression system in the county’s new public‑safety facility, a county construction manager told supervisors at the meeting.

Jeff Curtis of the Samuels Group, the county’s construction manager, reported the single qualified bid for fire suppression came in at $238,900; the project had budgeted $212,880 for that scope. Curtis said the difference will be addressed through the project’s construction contingency and that the procurement team plans to issue the contract and then pursue value‑engineering opportunities with the contractor to recover any potential savings.

Curtis summarized other construction milestones and near‑term schedule items: masons are temporarily offsite for another project but the overall schedule remains healthy, the team is preparing roof blocking and weatherproofing so the building can be dried‑in, some underground conduit and plumbing are complete, and generator components have begun arriving with the main generator slated for delivery in December. The project is tracking toward a substantial completion in the April timeframe, with 911 dispatch equipment due to be installed in June–July of the following year.

On the bid, Curtis said the higher price primarily reflects market changes in steel and materials since the budget was set about a year and a half ago; he characterized the $26,020 difference as within expected ranges and proposed using the project contingency to cover it. He described standard contracting steps that will follow: executing the AIA contract via DocuSign, collecting insurance and bonding, and verifying lien releases and pay‑application documentation before releasing payments to contractors.

A supervisor moved to accept Mahoney Fire Sprinkler’s bid and a second followed; the board approved the motion by voice vote. Curtis said the county will press the contractor to identify potential reductions through design or sequencing after contract award and will return any savings to the project budget.

Curtis also highlighted project controls: the team reviews pay applications with the county auditor and treasurer, checks lien releases, and performs ongoing quality checks to avoid rework. He reported morale on site is good and safety checks occur regularly, and that a pre‑install meeting for slab work is scheduled to ensure polished‑concrete and recessed slab areas (for jail showers and other specialized areas) meet specifications.

The board will see the fire‑suppression line item in the September payout and adjustments to the project budget at that time.