Road district says engineer’s estimate for ground park and trail work exceeds budget; commission discusses bidding options

Daggett County road district staff told the county commission on Sept. 16 that an independent engineer’s estimate for a ground park project and related trail work came in well above the available budget, prompting discussion of options to attract bidders and re-evaluate priorities.

Sean Hughes of the road department said the independent estimator’s numbers were “way over the budget,” leaving the district to choose among options to proceed. Hughes told commissioners the district plans to confer with the road board and consider reworking bid specifications to increase competition. “Why are you writing this big elaborate spec? Just write this little paragraph spec,” Hughes said about advice he received while revising the solicitation language.

Hughes said the current budget outlook still may allow work on both ends of the trail and parts of downtown, depending on final prices and whether the county can identify roughly $200,000 in additional funds discussed previously. He said the road district will confirm easement needs and that he has been communicating with the Utah Department of Transportation for assistance on materials sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; he reported no response yet from the Corps and said he has been calling at least weekly.

Hughes also described outreach to a contractor (Lewis and Lewis and its parent company in Utah) that indicated interest in bidding work; the road district plans to put the project out to bid to attract more competitors.

No formal action or vote on the project was taken at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to continue refining specifications, check easement status, pursue Corps of Engineers coordination, and proceed with the bidding process if feasible.

The transcript records no cost estimate breakdowns beyond the engineer’s assessment, and no final decision was made to change the project scope.