Kokomo board awards asbestos abatement for 211 W. King St.; agenda shows inconsistent bid pricing

The Board of Public Works and Safety on July 16 approved an asbestos abatement contract for an abandoned residential property at 211 W. King St. The work is funded through the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) neighborhood blight elimination program. Staff noted that the asbestos lab analysis required ACM abatement before demolition and that the Department of Development solicited proposals from three Indiana-licensed contractors; two proposals were received. The proposals listed in the agenda were Air Management Techniques Inc. at $8,050 and Environmental Assurance Company Inc. at $19,500. The staff recommendation named Air Management Techniques Inc. as the lowest and most responsive bidder and recommended awarding the ACM abatement contract to that firm. The agenda text contains an internal inconsistency: the initial proposal price for Air Management Techniques is listed as $8,050, while the written recommendation states an award amount of $8,500. The board approved the recommended award by motion and unanimous voice vote; the record does not contain a clarification reconciling the $50 difference at the meeting. Peter Shaw, identified in the agenda as the city’s CDBG/HUD grant manager, presented the item for action.