Drainage board opens 14 debrushing/mowing bids, votes to award to lowest responsive bidders pending legal review

The Delaware County Drainage Board opened bids on 14 debrushing and mowing projects Wednesday and voted to award the work to the lowest responsive and responsible bidders pending legal review.

Staff read quotes in priority order for projects across the county, including annual mowing jobs and longer debrushing efforts in Neighborhoods such as Country Village, Tilton and areas draining to Abe McConnell. Individual quotes were recorded from Butler Masonry, Coop’s Lawn and Landscape, JJC Excavating, Schneider Excavating, Fulham Camp Excavating and others. Staff summarized the aggregate of lowest bids at just over $302,000 and noted access issues that impose deadlines on two jobs (approximate dates cited were April 15 and May 1) because some sites require crossing crop fields for access.

During the public portion of the meeting, Jaren Crabtree, owner of JJC Excavating and present in the audience, said he recently completed work on Racer Ditch and believed he could complete the newly awarded jobs within the timeframes requested. “I do not see an issue in finishing these ditches for the time frame given,” Crabtree said.

A board member moved to accept the lowest responsive and responsible bidder on each job pending legal review for compliance; the motion was seconded, the board took a roll-call vote and the motion carried. Staff said they will compile the bid summary and send notices to participating contractors identifying awards and summarizing bids.

Separately during new business, the board approved a request to reclassify the drainage board attorney salary from payroll (100 series) to contractual services (300 series) and agreed staff will prepare an account-transfer request to the county council to effect the change. The board also approved maintenance claims after a requested labeling correction to DIG work order 7412 (change watershed label from “No Name Creek” to “Abe McConnell”).