County engineers flag opportunity to repave highway department parking lot; board considers CIP or patching funds
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Summary
Benton County highway staff presented estimates of $275,000–$300,000 to repave the highway department parking lot and asked the board whether to proceed using a sealed bid process; board discussed using capital improvement or patching budget savings and directed staff to return with firm options and potential change-order routes.
County highway staff on May 20 briefed the Benton County Board on scoping estimates to repave the highway department parking lot and asked whether the board wanted staff to pursue sealed bids for the work.
Staff said scoping estimates from contractors were in the $275,000–$300,000 range and that the county could perform grading and preparation in-house to reduce cost. Because the anticipated project cost exceeds the municipal contracting threshold, staff said a sealed bid process would be required for the paving work.
Commissioners discussed funding options. Staff identified roughly $400,000 in available savings from the annual road patching budget and also noted remaining CIP balance from prior timber-sale proceeds; one commissioner suggested using capital improvement dollars, another suggested a mix of CIP and patching savings. Staff said earlier capital-improvement estimates for paving had been higher (roughly $500,000 several years ago) and that current contractor market conditions appear favorable.
Board members asked whether adding the lot to an existing paving contract as a change order would be feasible; staff said it might be possible but warned that parking-lot paving has different unit prices than long straight road paving, and that staff would check unit prices and change-order feasibility with current contractors. No final vote was taken; commissioners directed staff to explore change-order routes and return with firm numbers before committing funds.
