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Ditch Authority delays award for ditch maintenance after wide bid variances; schedules annual meeting for Aug. 18
Summary
The Ditch Authority reviewed multiple quotes for maintenance of CD 9 and 14 and found wide variances between estimates and 'not-to-exceed' figures; commissioners asked staff to seek more vendor detail and references and agreed to hold an annual drainage meeting tentatively on Aug. 18 with postcard notice to landowners.
County ditch-authority staff presented four quotes for maintenance of County Ditches (CD) 9 and 14 and recommended seeking clarification due to large variances between initial estimates and vendors' not-to-exceed figures.
Staff reported one vendor’s not-to-exceed total was roughly 50% higher than its internal estimate and that another vendor (Cars Tree Service) provided a quote where the estimate equalled the not-to-exceed amount. Commissioners discussed vendor experience, equipment differences (tractor wings vs. skid-steer brush hogs), and the difficulty of predicting final costs from limited quotes. One commissioner suggested continuing the procurement and inviting the shortlisted vendors to meet with a subcommittee to discuss equipment, assumptions and references.
The board reached consensus to continue the discussion, request additional information and references from bidders, and to keep vendors informed during the procurement process. Separately, staff recommended holding an annual special drainage-authority meeting similar to last year's public meeting; commissioners tentatively agreed to Aug. 18 (second county-board meeting in August) and supported postcard notices to benefited landowners (previous cost reported as $385 total). Staff will confirm venue and attorney availability and return with logistics.
Next steps: staff to gather additional vendor details and references, subcommittee to meet with vendors if appropriate, and staff to confirm the Aug. 18 meeting logistics and mail postcard notices to affected landowners.
