Commissioners approve moving contract for county health department after staff cites contractor experience

St. Clair County commissioners approved awarding the county health department moving contract to Preferred Moving and Storage after staff said the company’s experience matched the complexity of the relocation.

During the Environmental Public Works (Human Services?) committee meeting, a commissioner asked staff to clarify three bids that were received and why the recommended vendor was not the low bidder. The county’s project lead explained staff interviewed prospective movers and determined Preferred’s references and prior projects — including health‑care and school district moves — showed greater readiness to handle the county’s needs.

“Vaccine fridges, things that we don't want to see damage within that move,” the project lead said when describing risks the contractor must manage. The staff recommendation emphasized readiness and references as the primary difference in price.

The committee voted to approve the recommendation and proceeded to a roll‑call vote. Commissioners recorded in the roll call as voting “Yes” included Commissioner Trello, Commissioner Samasco, Commissioner Felix, Commissioner Rushing, Commissioner Vander Bosch and Commissioner Bean; no “No” votes were recorded in the meeting transcript. The memo accompanying the agenda referenced a $43,000 figure for the recommended bid; the transcript records discussion that the chosen vendor submitted the higher bid but does not specify the final contract amount in the verbatim record reviewed.

No amendments or conditions were recorded in the transcript. The committee also received and filed the Health Department points of interest for March later in the meeting.