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Commission authorizes rail‑trail bridge designs, tables a task order pending wording
Summary
After debate over missing task‑order language and environmental/permitting concerns, the commission approved authorization to proceed with preliminary and final design for rail‑trail connector bridges and tabled a separate task order until full documentation is on the agenda.
The Harrison County Commission on Wednesday authorized preliminary and final design work for rail‑trail connector bridges while also tabling a related task order because the written task order was not available for review.
Staff and legal/engineering representatives explained that the county’s Master Services Agreement with Thrasher Engineering includes a task‑order workflow intended to control cost and funding. Commissioners repeatedly asked to see the written task order before granting approval. The president withdrew an approval motion and instead moved to table the task‑order item until the task order can be placed on a future agenda; that motion carried.
On separate agenda items the commission voted to authorize Thrasher to complete preliminary and final design for a connector bridge crossing the Westport River near Northview, and to advance a connector bridge task order for the Meadowbrook area. County counsel/engineer noted the county had awarded the original rail‑trail RFP to Thrasher in 2021 and entered a master services agreement in early 2022; multiple task orders have been issued under that agreement.
Commissioners raised procedural and permitting concerns, including whether environmental approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been—or will be—obtained before design proceeds, and whether the state Department of Highways right‑of‑way must be secured for trail alignments adjacent to state highways. Staff said the design authorization would enable the county to pursue grant funding and that more detailed task orders and permit applications would be prepared and presented for approval before construction procurement.
The motion to authorize design passed by voice vote. The item the commission had originally been asked to approve as a task order was tabled and will return to the agenda when the task‑order document is provided to commissioners.
