Muscatine County approves $155,344 contract for downtown sidewalks, parking-lot work

The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 29 authorized the chair to sign a $155,344.25 contract with Higher Construction to replace the Fourth Street sidewalk between Mulberry Street and the front of the historic jail and to renovate the Walnut Street and jail employee parking lots.

County Development Director Eric Furnace recommended the contract, telling supervisors he had received the required bonds and a certificate of insurance and that the county would invoice a private partner for the portion of Fourth Street that partner agreed to repair. "I have the PNP bonds. I have the certificate of insurance in hand," Furnace said.

The board approved the motion without a recorded roll-call tally in the transcript. Supervisors asked whether the contractor had given a mobilization date; Furnace said the contract intentionally included no fixed start date so the contractor could choose to begin in spring rather than this fall. "We left it open...so they have until spring to start on it," he said, and added he would notify the board after a preconstruction meeting that sets the mobilization schedule.

Furnace told the board the county worked with Red Grove Watersmith Engineering on the project and that staff had reviewed and accepted Higher Construction's bid and contract documents. The contract covers replacement of sidewalk in front of the historic jail, the Walnut Street parking lot, and the employee parking area adjacent to the jail. The county will invoice the partner for the partner-funded portion of Fourth Street work.

No statutory citations or ordinance numbers were referenced in the discussion or motion on the transcript. The motion passed and the chair was authorized to sign the contract; the transcript does not list vote tallies or the mover and seconder by full name.

The county will hold a preconstruction meeting to set a start date and provide further schedule details to the board.