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Board tables $97,006 bleacher purchase at fairgrounds until ADA compliance confirmed
Summary
Fair manager requested purchase of $97,006.94 in portable bleachers; commissioners asked for confirmation the final seating plan will meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and tabled award to obtain legal/engineering review.
Bonner County commissioners tabled a proposed purchase of portable bleachers for the fairgrounds after raising questions about Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and the final seating configuration.
Fair manager Mark Knapp asked the board to approve purchase of bleachers from Highlands Products Group / The Park Catalog for $97,006.94, funds Knapp said were in the fair’s budget. Knapp told commissioners the procurement had been reviewed by county legal, auditing and risk management and that three bids were received.
During discussion, several commissioners and members of the public noted discrepancies among the bids: at least one bid included ADA-compliant cutout seating while the lowest bid did not. Commissioners emphasized the county must ensure the final facility configuration meets current ADA requirements, not past practice.
A county attorney (Bill Wilson) noted the facility already has some ADA-accessible seating in the main grandstands but said he had not performed a detailed review of the proposed bleacher configuration. Commissioners said partial demolition of existing bleachers is already underway and that the bleachers being purchased are portable, not permanent, but that confirmation of compliance and the total number of ADA spaces required for the full facility was necessary before awarding the contract.
Following discussion, a commissioner moved to table the award to allow legal or engineering staff to confirm whether the proposed bleacher configuration satisfies current ADA regulations. The motion passed on a roll-call vote; the county will return the item to the board once it has confirmation about ADA compliance.
Next steps: the fair manager and county staff will obtain confirmation from legal and/or an engineer about ADA-seat requirements for the final facility seating plan and report back to the board before the bid award is finalized.
