Covington County approves bridge contract, IT server placement, surplus sales and surface-treatment award; commissioners flag schedule concerns

Covington County commissioners on April 22 approved several contracts and administrative actions, but expressed concern that a recently started bridge maintenance contract may not be completed within the period shown in the paperwork.

The commission gave retroactive approval to a contract with West Gulf Diving Adventures for bridge inspection and maintenance, authorized a county-owned server to be installed at the 911 office for the sheriff’s records-management system, declared multiple IT and maintenance items surplus for sale or destruction, awarded surface-treatment work to SSC Materials and Paving, and approved county vehicle use for members of the county’s rapid response/tactical team to attend an out-of-state competition.

Why it matters: The bridge contract discussion produced the meeting’s most substantive debate. Commissioners pressed for clearer timing and engineering input before work resumes, and the commission approved the contract only after staff said a follow-up contract or amendment would be brought back if work continued beyond the dates in the current agreement.

Commissioners flagged schedule and scope

Officials said the West Gulf Diving Adventures contract was written to begin in March and be completed by April. County staff and the county attorney told commissioners that the form before the board would provide retroactive approval for work already begun under the terms stated. The county attorney told the…