Keith County rejects Lakeview Road bids as county and state spar over recreation funds

The Keith County Board of Commissioners voted to reject all bids for a major resurfacing of Lakeview Road, saying the county does not have the funding in hand to proceed. At the same meeting the board discussed a separate dispute over state‑allocated water recreation enhancement funds intended for Lake McConaughey projects and authorized staff to pursue legal review.

Why it matters: Commissioners said contractors must be able to mobilize quickly and that the county risks losing favorable pricing if it re‑bids the work. Highway staff and the county’s consulting engineer told the board the bids reflected current market rates; without the promised state funds, the county cannot proceed and would face higher costs later.

Highway Superintendent Tom Wilbur introduced the project and asked the board for direction after the low bids returned well above the county engineer’s estimate. Lance Arder of Oak Creek Engineering told the board, "If we took some of that stuff out ... the project cost would still be around 1.3," referring to a simplified overlay versus a larger shoulder‑widening and safety package. Commissioners noted a roughly $500,000 funding gap and said contractors needed to know immediately whether the project would move forward so they could mobilize.

Action: Commissioner Irvin moved to reject all bids due to lack of funding; Commissioner Anderson seconded. The motion passed by roll call vote: Schroeder — yes; Anderson — yes; Irvin — yes; Crandall — yes. County staff recorded the bids and will keep documentation on file for potential rebidding or alternate scopes.

At the same session County Attorney Randy Fair updated the board on the county’s effort to obtain money from a state Water Recreation Enhancement Fund intended for Lake McConaughey SRA infrastructure. Fair said significant appropriated dollars have not been released and that a portion of the funding line went instead to another project (Lewis and Clark); he and others called the state administrative action unprecedented. Fair said he had opened correspondence with the attorney general’s office and legislative staff and recommended legal review. "I would make a motion that we move into executive session for purposes of legal strategy," Fair said; the board approved that motion and convened an executive session to discuss next steps.

Board members and County Attorney Fair described the situation as follows: the Legislature appropriated funds for multiple projects; the governor sought to veto some language during the budget process; after that effort failed, the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has declined to release the full funding on the same line item. Commissioners said the action effectively blocked a previously anticipated revenue source for the Lakeview Road project.

Background and consequences: Commissioners said the county had to reject bids because the timing did not allow indefinite contractor mobilization. Engineer Lance Arder said contractors were already on site in the region and that if the county re‑bids later it likely will not see the same prices. Wilbur warned the board that delaying construction could mean losing roughly half a million dollars in value relative to the earlier bids.

Next steps: County Attorney Fair said he would pursue records and legal options, including public‑records requests and conversations with state legislators and the attorney general. Senator Stroman and other state officials have been engaged informally, Fair said; the board approved executive‑session discussion of legal strategy at the meeting and indicated it would expect a follow‑up legal recommendation.

Local context: The Lakeview Road project was presented as a major resurfacing/overlay with optional safety work. Commissioners and staff indicated they would consider scaled‑back alternatives if county legal efforts cannot secure the withheld funds. For now, with bids rejected, the county has paused procurement until funding issues are resolved.