Miami County commissioners at a July 23 study session heard staff recommend awarding RFP 2511 — the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) and structural site assessment for the Miami County Courthouse — to Ferris Engineering, citing a price-weighted evaluation of proposals.
Project manager Matt Oler told commissioners that six proposals were received and that the county narrowed the list to three finalists: Bartlett & West, BG Consultants and Ferris Engineering. "It is staff's recommendation that we execute a contract with Ferris engineering to conduct the MEP and the structural assessment," Oler said, adding that Bartlett & West produced the most comprehensive written proposal but Ferris’s lower price and acceptable approach made it the recommended award under a price-weighted scoring method.
The Ferris proposal quoted $26,800 for its work; Bartlett & West submitted $35,180. Under Ferris’s approach, Ferris would perform the MEP work while PMA Engineering would do the structural site assessment and Construction Management Resources would prepare cost estimates. Oler described the procurement as a complementary study aligned with the commission’s earlier needs study for the courthouse.
Commissioners and staff discussed the implications of prime firms performing more work in-house versus using subcontractors. Commissioner Shane (first name not specified in the record) said outsourcing structural work to a specialist is common and expressed no objection to Ferris’s use of subconsultants. Commissioners also asked about the likelihood of change orders on a study contract; Oler said he did not anticipate significant change orders on a study and that Ferris’s proposal indicated the firm would generally not expect the county to cover items not listed in the bid, providing some price certainty.
No formal motion or vote on award was recorded in the study-session transcript; the item concluded with commissioners discussing next steps and moving to the environmental assessment agenda item.
The commission may next schedule contract execution or additional review before a formal award action on the consent or regular agenda.