Jones County awards right‑of‑way acquisition contract to THC; selects three roads to start

Jones County commissioners voted June 20 to award a right‑of‑way acquisition contract to THC Inc. and to begin acquisition work on three high‑priority rural roads.

County staff told the commission the county issued a request for proposals and received three bids. Staff described Colliers’ bid as the lowest per‑parcel price — about $2,000 — but said its scope lacked sufficient detail. THC’s proposal included a per‑parcel fee of $5,700 and specific deliverables; BMK Construction and Engineering quoted about $11,000 per parcel. Staff recommended THC based on clarity of scope and deliverables.

A county staff member summarized the evaluation: "Colliers was at $2,000 per parcel, but their scope of work was very vague and, frankly, wasn't clear at all on what we would get for the $2,000. The THC proposal was $5,700 per parcel... BMK ... came in at $11,000 per parcel," the staff member said. Commissioners discussed which roads to prioritize so staff could set a budget and plan parcel acquisitions for the next fiscal year.

The board approved a motion to start with three roads on the county priority list — Luke Smith (also referenced as Luke Smith Road), Shady Road and McKay Road — because petitions, some right‑of‑way surveys and partial parcel work are already in place for those corridors. Commissioners also directed staff to begin the petition and right‑of‑way survey process for Chee Haw Road (referred to in the packet as Chee Haw/Cheeha), which had not yet started.

Separately, the board approved awarding the right‑of‑way acquisition contract to THC Inc. and authorized staff to commence negotiations and budget planning. County staff said the contractor can begin preliminary work within weeks but noted lead times for some tasks and that acquisitions will affect next year’s capital budget.