Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
DeKalb trustees approve low bidder, plan funding path for Peace Park
Loading...
Summary
DeKalb Township trustees voted Jan. 20 to accept a low construction bid for the new Peace Park and outlined a funding mix that relies on a donor gift, commemorative sales, and cemetery capital funds to cover costs.
DeKalb Township trustees voted Jan. 20 to accept a low construction bid to build Peace Park, with trustees directed to begin next steps to secure the contractor’s schedule.
Speaker 1 told the board that eight bids were received at the Jan. 13 opening and that the lowest bidder was close to the engineer’s estimate. "In all, we received 8 bids, which I was super excited about," Speaker 1 said, adding that the low bid for infrastructure was about $97,707. The project includes parking, an ADA space, landscaping, furnishings and a commemorative program to offset some landscaping and bench costs.
Speaker 1 said the project already has a major private donor. "Starting with the $100,000 donation that we got from the donor ... there is a little over $62,000 remaining in that fund," Speaker 1 said, and noted an additional deposit expected that would bring the donor fund to nearly $98,000. That donor contribution has funded land acquisition, survey and design work to date.
Trustees discussed procurement, contractor responsibility and scheduling. Speaker 5, citing past experience, said the low bidder had done satisfactory local work: "O'Brien has done work for the road district, and I'm pretty familiar with them," Speaker 5 said. Board members also discussed whether local preference rules could be applied; Speaker 1 noted that state procurement law requires selecting the lowest responsible bidder.
Because the contractor’s schedule could fill for spring and summer work, trustees approved the motion to accept the low bid and noted the township may need a special meeting to execute the contract before the board’s February session. Speaker 1 said construction is expected to begin in April and take about six weeks.
The township plans to offset costs with donor funds, sales of commemorative pavers and benches, and allocations from the cemetery capital fund in the next budget cycle. Speaker 1 also mentioned oversight arrangements with a Fairgrounds team member to monitor construction.
The board approved the motion by roll call. The township will next confirm contract details and timetables with the selected contractor.
