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Board approves $90,000 allocation for in‑house ADA restroom upgrades at Natural Chimneys Park
Summary
Supervisors approved allocating $90,000 from infrastructure funds for county maintenance staff to construct two ADA-accessible restrooms at Natural Chimneys Park, after staff said in-house labor could lower costs compared with contractor bids.
The Augusta County Board of Supervisors approved allocating $90,000 from the North River infrastructure account to have county maintenance staff perform most of the work to convert two park restrooms at Natural Chimneys Park to be ADA-accessible.
Supervisor John Slayton (speaker identified in the transcript as Mr. Slayton) moved the allocation after staff said previous contractor bids produced higher estimates; staff told the board that the county’s facilities crew estimated they could perform about 85% of the labor in-house and reduce the total project cost. County staff said the original bid and contingency earlier reached roughly $114,000; the maintenance-led approach yielded a $90,000 estimate that includes subcontracted masonry, ground plumbing and epoxy flooring work procured through the county's usual quote process.
County legal counsel told the board Virginia law permits a locality to act as its own contractor when the work is for the county’s property, but the county must competitively procure any subcontracted work and ensure subcontractors hold required licenses. Board members questioned whether bids for the subcontracted portions should be obtained before allocating funds; supporters said staff already had previous bid information to estimate subcontract costs and preferred to complete the work in the off-season so restrooms are ready for camping season.
A vote was taken after discussion; the transcript records the board moving forward and a roll-call-style indication of the result (recorded as a 5–2 outcome in the transcript). The county attorney and facilities staff said they would follow procurement rules for licensed subcontractors and that roofing replacement, though discussed, had not been part of the original bid scope and would be addressed separately if needed.
The board did not provide detailed project start or completion dates during the recorded discussion; staff said they intend to perform much of the work over the winter to have restrooms ready before the camping season.
