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Daggett County: engineer estimates exceed budgets; officials plan rebids and contractor outreach for roads and trails
Summary
County road staff told commissioners Sept. 16 that independent engineer estimates for the ground park and related trail work came in above budget; staff said they will re-evaluate budgets, simplify specifications to attract bidders, and pursue contractor outreach including Lewis & Lewis.
Daggett County commissioners spent a sizable portion of their Sept. 16 meeting on higher-than-expected engineer estimates for road and trail projects and on potential procurement strategies.
Sean Hughes of the county road department told the commission that the PS&E (plans, specifications and estimates) meeting for the ground park project produced an independent estimator’s figures that were “way over the budget,” leaving staff and the road district to consider options to bring costs in line.
Hughes said staff is exploring several steps: re-evaluating budgets between projects after Browns Park cost changes, simplifying technical specifications to increase bidder interest, and directly contacting contractors including Lewis & Lewis and their parent company in Utah to solicit bids. He also said staff had submitted materials to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with UDOT assistance but had not yet received a response and that outstanding easements must be cleared before work can proceed.
Why it matters: higher engineer estimates can delay construction or obligate additional local funds. Hughes noted that earlier discussions included the county considering contributing roughly $200,000 more to expand trail work downtown and that Browns Park revisions are affecting the trails budget.
What officials said: Hughes described working with Lewis & Lewis and the potential for their parent company to bid on work; he said simplifying the bid spec could broaden competition and that staff would meet with the mayor about downtown elements.
Next steps: staff plans to follow up with the Army Corps, pursue contractor outreach, consider rebidding, and return with refined cost figures and recommendations. No formal procurement decision or budget amendment was recorded in the segments reviewed.
