County takes storage-building bids under advisement; staff to verify insurance and specs

Rutherford County took three bids under advisement for a proposed temperature‑controlled storage building at the sheriff’s office and asked staff to verify insurance and consistency of bid specifications before returning with a recommendation.

County staff said the project will consolidate multiple aging outbuildings that currently house records, radios and equipment into a single 100-by-30-by-16 steel building at the sheriff’s office. Staff said the existing outbuildings leak and lack temperature control, posing a risk to radios, records and equipment.

Bids included a $395,798 bid from AM Builders (plus an optional $20,100 fee for architectural drawings) and a $509,264 bid from Fellowship Construction. Procurement and project staff noted a prior procedural issue in which some bidders retrieved the RFP offline and did not receive updated specifications, so the county attorney advised refusing those bids and rebidding; staff presented a corrected solicitation for the committee to consider.

Commissioners emphasized that insurance and complete documentation must be submitted with responses given recent procurement problems on other items. After discussion, the committee voted to take the bids under advisement so staff can confirm insurance certificates, clarify whether architectural drawings will be required by the city, and return with a formal recommendation.

Staff said they will also examine whether a steel building could be disassembled or relocated in the future; commissioners asked staff to investigate that possibility before final contract award because the county may build a new facility in several years and would prefer to preserve capital value where feasible.