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County weighs abatement and demolition approach for old hospital; engineering oversight recommended
Summary
Officials reviewed environmental assessments for the old hospital and discussed moving to a phased abatement/demolition procurement; consultants warned that costs have risen and recommended bonded contractors and engineered bid documents to avoid delays and unexpected discoveries.
Carter County commissioners discussed next steps for the scheduled abatement and demolition of the old county hospital, reviewing environmental assessments completed in 2022 and a more recent contractor estimate that rose from roughly $301,000 to more than $400,000.
County staff and an abatement contractor representative said the county already has a Phase I/Phase II environmental assessment and that the assessment will need review or an update because the assessment approaches three years old; the consultant indicated the county’s three‑year window for relying on the existing assessment will expire this September. The abatement representative recommended a phased procurement: first an abatement/clearance phase under the engineer’s specifications, then a demolition contract once clearances are in hand. The firm advised the county to require bonding and prevailing‑wage compliance for bidders and to use a qualified engineer to write bid documents so the county is protected against scope changes and undisclosed conditions that can raise costs during demolition.
The consultant also noted that local construction costs have increased and that travel and mobilization to remote eastern Montana sites can add materially to bids. Commissioners discussed Brownfields grant options but noted that the Brownfields approach can require additional steps and reviews that could increase time and, in some cases, cost. The county agreed to ask the environmental contractor to re‑review the existing assessment, to contact DEQ about extension or re‑validation options, and to prepare a specification package and estimate for an abatement contract.
Next steps: staff will obtain updated abatement numbers, explore bonding and prevailing wage requirements, and circulate revised bid documents for commissioner review. The county and consultant discussed using an engineer to oversee the abatement and to provide clear bid language to reduce the risk of contractor disputes or scope creep during demolition.
