Commissioners select Bonnet, Paige & Stone as construction manager for Mountain View facility upgrade

Carroll County commissioners voted on May 19 to award the construction-management contract for the Mountain View Community Facility upgrade to Bonnet, Paige & Stone (BPS).

The county received two bids. BPS submitted a bid of $219,840 with an eight-month construction schedule; the other bidder (listed in the materials as Bowen) submitted a bid of $145,787 with a five-month schedule. Preconstruction pricing differed as well: the BPS preconstruction cost was $3,500; the other bidder listed a $7,500 preconstruction fee and higher percentage fees for construction management and change orders. The county's architect reviewed both bids and recommended BPS, noting the shorter bid's five-month schedule was "very aggressive" and that delays on a five-month schedule could generate change orders and extra cost.

The architect and county staff noted that, when converted to monthly cost, the two proposals were close; the recommendation favored BPS for its institutional knowledge of the building and a more realistic schedule. Commissioners voiced agreement with that assessment. "I'd probably go with the recommendation. That's because those are familiar with the building," said Commissioner Wagner.

A motion to proceed with BPS carried at the meeting. Commissioners directed the selected firm to begin preconstruction work and obtain subcontract bids for trades once the contract is executed. The architect said BPS would solicit three bids for each trade and was prepared to start once a contract was issued.

County staff will return with final contract documents and any required change orders for future commission approval.