Commission awards $16,000 septic contract for Vassar Community Center; playground installation to follow

The Osage County Commission voted to award a $16,000 contract to Thiele Plumbing and Heating and Cooling to remove an existing septic tank and install a new septic system at the Vassar Community Center, a county staff member said during the April 29 commission meeting.

Sherry Kaufman, representing the Vassar Community Center, told commissioners the center received a $40,000 Jones Fund grant to install playground equipment and that the septic system must be brought up to code before the playground work can proceed. “We did achieve a $40,000 Jones Fund grant to do a playground,” Kaufman said.

The commission heard that three contractor bids were submitted for the septic work: Thiele ($16,000), Blaine Dreyer ($22,000) and L and M Construction ($25,050). Bidders proposed removing the old tank and installing a combination of tanks and laterals described in the bids: one 1,500-gallon tank, one 1,000-gallon tank and roughly 1,500 square feet of leach laterals, according to Kaufman.

Commissioners and staff noted that the submitted bids did not include the cost to have the existing tank pumped out before removal; Kaufman said that pumping would be arranged separately. Bidders also flagged that excessive rock in the work area could increase costs. Staff said they had asked the lowest bidder to account for typical site conditions, but that rock and other site-specific issues could generate change orders if encountered during excavation.

Kaufman said the playground vendor, Boss Playgrounds, had secured a play structure (referred to in the meeting as the “Chimp Champ”) and planned a three-day installation once the septic work is complete.

The commission moved and approved awarding the septic removal and replacement contract to Thiele Plumbing and Heating and Cooling in the amount of $16,000. The motion passed by voice vote.

Commissioners asked staff to coordinate scheduling so playground installation could follow septic completion and noted that if carpentry or additional site preparation were required after septic work, the community center would return to the commission for further approval or funding as needed.

The county and community representatives said the Jones Fund grant is restricted to park-related items; other potential improvements to the school building or courts were discussed but not funded through this grant.

The commission’s approval allows Thiele to begin work following county contracting procedures and the county’s site-preparation steps (tank pumping, site leveling) to be coordinated by staff.