Bradley County committee delays Menace Road pad work pending county attorney review

At a meeting of the Bradley County Building and Land Committee, members voted to move consideration of work on a Menace Road parcel to a later meeting after asking the county attorney whether the three separate quotes on tree removal, stump removal and pad work must be put together as one competitively bid job.

The question matters because the county has a quote that would clear trees, remove stumps and build a 130-by-135-foot pad behind the site of the county’s new fire facility; the full set of quotes adds up to about $61,500, and officials said the work could affect site access and costs if done after the building is constructed.

Committee discussion and quotes Chairman (name not specified) presented three separate contractor quotes for the Menace Road property: clearing and grinding ($13,800), stump removal and haul/disposal ($18,400) and pad cut-to-grade with hauling and final grading ($23,800). "That would end up giving us a pad about a 130 by 135 foot," the chairman said when describing the combined scope and why the work was raised now rather than after the new building is in place.

The chairman also said he contacted the contractor that issued the quote and that the price "is still good." Members pressed on procurement rules: one committee member asked whether separating the job into three under-$25,000 pieces could evade formal bidding when the work is effectively one project, and the group agreed to ask the county attorney to rule on whether the parts can be procured separately.

Building status, parking and costs The mayor told the committee the building was "in the process of actually ordering the building," and that while delivery timing was unclear, dirt work and pad pouring would proceed while the structure was on order. The mayor estimated the parking-lot work would likely be completed in summer, with a concrete paving estimate discussed at about $80,000 and another participant later citing an $87,000 figure for concreting; the mayor said paving estimates were being sought as an alternative.

Committee members emphasized that completing the pad and related grading before the building is fully constructed could reduce difficulty and cost. One member urged caution about budgeting, noting the $61,500 package is not currently in the fire budget and that the committee should send funding questions to finance.

Ballpark parking: low-cost option discussed Committee members also discussed a separate, smaller item: leveling and graveling a strip of land behind the ballpark near Pearline Road to reduce on-street parking during full events. The chairman said he had a quote of $4,000 to clean, level and gravel the area that could hold roughly 40–50 cars and suggested requesting funds during the upcoming budget process.

Motion and next steps Commissioner Rogers moved to refer the Menace Road agenda item to a future Building and Land Committee meeting after the county attorney reviews whether the separate quotes constitute one job requiring formal bidding; another commissioner seconded. The committee approved the referral by voice vote.

The committee asked staff to (1) forward the procurement question to the county attorney, (2) confirm whether the contractor will extend the quote if needed (the chairman said he had already asked and that the contractor confirmed the quote was still valid), and (3) provide updated estimates for paving or concreting the parking area for inclusion in the next budget cycle.

All direct quotations above are drawn from committee remarks captured in the meeting transcript.