Daggett County weighs adding x‑ray to clinic as bids come in under budget

Daggett County officials said construction bids for a planned clinic came in lower than the budgeted amount, and staff discussed asking the Community Investment Board (referred to in the meeting as “CIB”) to approve a scope change to include an x‑ray machine rather than changing the funding amount.

During routine issue updates at the May 20 Daggett County Commission meeting, an unnamed staff speaker summarized a recent virtual meeting with CIB representatives, bond counsel and county staff, and said the lower bids prompted conversation about whether to reduce the loan/grant amount or to add equipment to the project scope. The speaker said CIB’s representative, identified in the meeting as Candace, preferred reducing the funding to lower the county’s loan exposure.

County staff said they would obtain quotes for an x‑ray machine and bring them to the Municipal Building Authority (MBA) in June if the MBA wishes to request a scope adjustment. Bond attorney Eric Johnson told the meeting that, in his opinion, an x‑ray machine would be treated as a capital expense because of its cost and because it would likely remain with the building rather than move with a temporary provider.

Staff also said bid tabulations have been sent to CIB and that bond counsel will follow up on outstanding signed documents and the parameters resolution. The county is tentatively scheduled on the CIB agenda for June 5 in Richfield (Sevier County) to present any proposed scope changes.

Next steps: staff will gather equipment quotes, present a comparison of requested funding versus bids to the MBA, and, if the MBA approves, request the scope change with CIB at the June meeting.