Nash County approves contract for 1.9‑mile water main to serve Five‑County rail site; Middlesex and grant partners to contribute
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Summary
After bids came in above available funds, staff negotiated scope to lower cost and recommended awarding a $933,950 contract to Herring Rivenbark for an 8‑inch, 1.9‑mile water main to the proposed Five‑County rail site; the town of Middlesex agreed to contribute $163,750 and the NC Railroad raised its grant to $500,000.
The Nash County Board of Commissioners voted Nov. 3 to award a contract to Herring Rivenbark for a revised $933,950 contract amount to construct an approximately 1.9‑mile, 8‑inch water main extension to serve the Five‑County rail site.
Deputy County Manager Jonathan Boone summarized the procurement: initial bids ranged from $1,085,845 to $1,410,350, with Herring Rivenbark the low responsive bidder. Staff and the engineer worked with the low bidder to modify materials, quantities and construction methods and to incorporate the alternate scope, reducing the base price by $151,895 to the negotiated $933,950 figure.
The project is funded with a mix of grants and local match. North Carolina Railroad verbally committed to increase its build‑ready site grant from $456,450 to $500,000. The town of Middlesex agreed at a recent council meeting to contribute $163,750 and to construct a 250,000‑gallon elevated water tank and a groundwater well to support the site. Remaining match and contingency will be covered from state direct grant funds retained by the county for water and wastewater system improvements and a modest county general fund contribution where required.
Boone said the water main will become property of the town of Middlesex after construction and the town expects to annex the rail site by satellite annexation. "The town agreed to provide about half of the remaining funding," Boone said, noting the county would contribute $69,280 in grant match funds from the general fund and $128,970 from state direct grant funds allocated for southern Nash County water improvements. The recommended award included a $45,050 contingency.
The county conditioned execution of the contract on receipt of an executed interlocal agreement with Middlesex documenting its contribution, DEQ approval to use $128,970 of state direct grant funds for the project, and county attorney review of the contract language. Commissioners approved the award and authorized the county manager to execute the contract subject to those contingency items.
The extension is intended to serve a build‑ready site adjacent to the short line railroad and support economic development. Boone said the project also positions the county to establish an emergency interconnect and increased water capacity in the southern end of the county as development proceeds.
The board's action moves the Five‑County rail site project forward pending final documentation and the vendor's executed contract.
