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Madison County trims ARPA paving project after high bid; commissioners cite Davis‑Bacon costs
Summary
County road supervisor reported a single bid of $1,579,350 for an ARPA‑funded paving project; the fiscal court awarded the work to Allen Company with a not‑to‑exceed cap of $1,250,000 and removed three roads from the project to stay within budget. Commissioners criticized federal wage rules as a cost driver.
MADISON COUNTY, Ky. — A higher‑than‑expected bid for an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)‑funded paving project led Madison County fiscal court on Aug. 13 to reduce the project scope and approve a lower capped award.
Scott, the county road supervisor, told the court the single bid received for the paving project was $1,579,350, which exceeded the county’s budget for the work. The court approved awarding the project to Allen Company "in the amount not to exceed $1,250,000" and removed Herndon Lane, Lower Hines Creek Road and Burton Lane from the list so the project would fit the available funding.
Commissioner comments focused on rising construction costs tied to federal contracting rules. One commissioner said, "it's absolutely ridiculous that we have to take $329,000 off of this and take 3 roads off of this simply because of the government stipulations that's put on that," referencing Davis‑Bacon wage requirements discussed during the meeting. Scott confirmed Davis‑Bacon wages and other factors had increased the bid total and said staff will pursue other funding sources, including state flex funds and general fund options, to attempt to include additional roads in future projects.
Scott told the court the roads recommended for the ARPA project had been identified after a countywide road‑system reevaluation and represented the worst‑scored segments.
The resolution to award the ARPA paving contract under the reduced budget passed on a unanimous roll call. County officials said the contract negotiation will proceed within the capped amount and staff will return with options for addressing the three omitted road segments.
Next steps: negotiate the contract with Allen Company to remain within the approved cap and report back to fiscal court with options to fund the removed roads.
