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Public Works outlines contracting practices, open contracts and pavement-rating process
Summary
Director Brian Gaddy told the committee Public Works has several near-term contract expirations, uses term-and-supply contracts for frequently purchased items (about 160 contracts), and relies on third-party IMS pavement surveys to prioritize road projects; staff also reviewed Evergreen salary-study rollouts and hiring practices.
Public Works Director Brian Gaddy briefed the Jackson County Public Works Committee on the department’s contracting portfolio, procurement practices, and pavement-prioritization methods.
Gaddy said the department currently has five active, one-time construction or maintenance contracts (examples named: I Decker, Vance Brothers, Superior Bowen, Rodmacher, and an owner’s representative for the jail project) and noted JE Dunn’s design-build contract for the county jail is scheduled for substantial completion on Dec. 10, 2025. He told the committee that many term-and-supply contracts are used for frequently purchased consumables and quick-response work and stated the department maintains roughly "around 160" term-and-supply contracts.
On vendor selection, Gaddy said not all term-and-supply contracts have multiple vendors; where multiple vendors exist, availability and competing quotes are used to assign work. He named three general-construction term vendors used for responsive work: Heartline, Universal and Lytle.
On contract changes, Gaddy clarified that any change order that increases contract dollars requires legislative approval, while administrative change orders that reassign work but do not increase dollars can be handled at the department level.
Committee members asked about how roads are prioritized. Gaddy described the county’s use of IMS, a digital road-assessment contractor that collects condition data (including ground-penetrating radar) to produce a pavement condition index (PCI) used to rank roads. He said Jackson County’s PCI sits in the mid-60s, a range he described as a stable maintenance target, and that the county’s bridge sufficiency rating is near 89.
On personnel and pay, the committee discussed the Evergreen compensation study. Gaddy and county executive staff said the Evergreen recommendations were implemented in a three-year rollout (entry-level adjustments first, then mid and upper levels), HR handled implementation in the county’s payroll/HR system, and departments may request hiring above the minimum for candidates with exceptional qualifications.
Committee members requested the department share the list of open contracts, term-and-supply rosters, and the pavement and CAFR source documents referenced during the discussion.
