Jackson County approves FY26 bridge steel, lumber contracts under estimate

The Jackson County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 1 approved two contracts for fiscal year 2026 bridge materials: a $77,718.38 award to Jim Trader Construction for bridge steel and a $45,527.42 award to Wheeler Lumber for bridge lumber.

The county engineer’s office advertised both solicitations and received one steel bid and two lumber bids. Jaden Shekel of the county engineer’s office told the board the steel bid covered piles, C-channels for a composite deck, reinforcing steel and delivery; the steel sum was approximately $2,000 under the county’s estimate. Shekel said Wheeler Lumber was the low bid for lumber and that both procurements came in below estimate.

Why it matters: awarding the materials contracts clears a procurement bottleneck that allows planned bridge repairs and replacements to proceed. The board approved resolutions authorizing contract signatures so vendors can finalize delivery and the county can schedule construction.

Board action: Supervisor Ninh moved and Supervisor Mike Stannis seconded approval of resolution 1106040125 to award the FY26 bridge steel contract to Jim Trader Construction; the board approved the motion by voice vote. Ninh moved and Stannis seconded approval of resolution 1107040125 to award the FY26 bridge lumber contract to Wheeler Lumber; that motion also passed by voice vote.

Neither award carried additional conditions in the meeting record. The county engineer said delivery and materials scope were included in the bid packages; no amendments were proposed at the meeting.

The board did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript; the approvals were confirmed by the board’s standard voice vote procedure.