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Wayne County says road condition improved to 24% ‘good’; procurement director explains RFQ pricing differences
Summary
Wayne County’s Department of Public Services reported hires, sweeping and catch-basin cleanings and a rise in lane miles rated 'good' from 17% to 24%. Interim procurement director Robert Woodigan explained that the contested engineering awards came from RFQs with 'not to exceed' amounts, not guaranteed payments.
Wayne County’s Department of Public Services told commissioners the county increased its share of lane miles rated in 'good' condition to about 24% from 17% after rehabilitation and reconstruction work this year.
Speaking for the roads division, a DPS official said the department hired 103 people across DPS in 2025, including 66 for the roads division, swept 520 miles of roadway, and cleaned 4,129 catch basins as part of stormwater management. “In 02/2025, thanks to you all for your support, we reconstructed and rehabilitated 286.7 lane miles of roadway,” the official said, adding that 251 of those lane miles were done by the roads division. The county has about 4,108 lane miles in total, the official said.
The report was presented as part of the Committee on Public Services’ agenda items and followed a request by commissioners that the department and roads director come forward with a seasonal summary of work and staffing. Commissioners praised field crews for hazardous work in winter conditions and for routine maintenance.
The public services report also included multiple procurement items based on recent RFQs for engineering services. Commissioners asked for clarification after noticing some firms listed higher “not to exceed” award amounts than others. Commissioner Killeen asked why award amounts varied and whether the procurement protocol had changed.
Robert (Rob) Woodigan, interim procurement director, told the commission the solicitations were requests for qualifications, not guaranteed contracts. “So it’s a not to exceed. So that means the firms will receive up to the amounts. It’s not guaranteed,” Woodigan said, and explained that two of the recommended firms were proposed to provide stormwater management and project management services while three firms were recommended for permit review and on-call services, which accounted for the differences in listed amounts.
Woodigan added that the larger figures represented ceilings within the scope of services, not guaranteed payments, and that the committee had received a letter explaining the RFQ process. After the explanation, commissioners said they were comfortable with procurement and DPS staff responses.
What’s next: The commission approved the public services committee report with an abstention recorded on item 12; procurement items will proceed under the RFQ framework described by procurement staff.
Sources: Remarks by the DPS representative on hiring and road metrics and Robert Woodigan’s procurement explanation during the committee report (see meeting transcript).
