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Emergency management director seeks cost cuts on proposed storage facility after bids top finance target
Summary
After seven full proposals and one garage‑door–only bid returned for a proposed emergency management storage facility, the director said total bids sum to about $460,000 versus a finance target of $350,000 and is working on a revised RFP to reduce scope and costs.
Vernon County’s emergency management director reported eight proposals in response to a January request for proposals for a new emergency management storage facility; one proposal covered only garage doors and the remaining seven were full proposals.
Brandon told the committee the combined cost of the full proposals is approximately $460,000, while the county finance office had approved a target budget of $350,000. To bridge the gap, Brandon and county staff plan to issue a revised request for proposals with a reduced scope — a 5,000‑square‑foot design target with trimmed structural elements — and, if necessary, consider an even smaller 4,000‑square‑foot option. He said engineers’ initial plans used heavier concrete construction that raised costs and that altering design elements such as switching to a floating slab could reduce price.
The director said the county may use up to $40,000 from state team funds as a contribution and is considering splitting construction into separate procurements (design/materials first, construction second) to meet public bidding rules. He reported the county is trying to accelerate the process but may face scheduling limits for contractors later in the year.
No final site or contractor was selected during the meeting; Brandon said he and county staff will issue a new RFP and meet with the engineer to reduce costs, with an updated RFP expected soon.
