Carroll County commissioners on Oct. 30 approved a series of procurement and utility contracts budgeted in FY26, awarding work to term contractors and competitively procured vendors.

The board voted to award the following contracts:

- Cove Building parking lot milling and overlay to GEMS Contracting Inc., $86,320 (scope includes ADA-compliant ramp and new handicap parking).

- Purchase, removal and installation of a 37-kilowatt Kohler diesel generator and transfer switch for the Mayberry Tower to Fidelity Power Systems, $110,000.

- Replacement of cast-iron valve bolts at 33 locations within the Freedom District service area to Mid Atlantic Utilities, $116,475 (estimated to cover 514 of an estimated 1,100 cast-iron bolt locations across the Freedom service area over multiple projects).

- Turnkey purchase and installation of a 1,000-kilowatt Rolco (formerly Kohler) diesel generator for the Freedom District Water Treatment Plant to Fidelity Power Systems, $828,533.60 (includes installation, docking station, startup services, load testing and one-year warranty; lead time ~44 weeks).

County staff described each contract as within the adopted FY26 budget. The utility items included brief presentations noting operational risks: the Freedom Water plant must have reliable backup generation under MDE rules, and several existing valve assemblies have experienced rust-related failures that limit maintenance activity.

Votes and motions

- Cove Building milling and overlay (GEMS Contracting Inc.): motion to approve made by Commissioner Gordon; board vote recorded as unanimous in the meeting record.

- Mayberry Tower generator (Fidelity Power Systems): motion made and seconded on the floor; board approved unanimously.

- Freedom District valve-bolt replacement (Mid Atlantic Utilities): motion made by Commissioner Krebs; board approved unanimously.

- Freedom District Water Treatment Plant generator (Fidelity Power Systems): motion made and seconded; board approved unanimously.

Staff said most items follow term-contract purchasing or Sourcewell competitively bid contracts. Several commissioners emphasized the importance of emergency power and reliable water infrastructure: "This tower site plays an important role for the communication infrastructures throughout the county," a county presenter said.

Clarifying details

- The Freedom Water plant generator purchase is budgeted to the Freedom District utility funds, not the county's general fund.
- Lead time on the 1,000 kW unit is approximately 44 weeks after purchase order issuance.

What it means

Procurements approved Oct. 30 fund short-term repairs and longer-term reliability improvements: the generator orders address redundant power for communications and water treatment infrastructure, while the valve-bolt and paving contracts address recurring maintenance and ADA accessibility at county facilities.