Commissioners table $1.25M recreation lighting RFP after questions over specs and $400,000 price gap

The Carroll County Board of Commissioners postponed action on a $1.25 million recreation lighting RFP after sustained questions over specifications, local impacts and a large price difference between the top two bidders.

Recreation Director Thad Ferguson recommended awarding the contract to Musco Sports Lighting, which the evaluation committee ranked highest. Ferguson said the bid price was $1,250,000 and that the county already had $1,000,000 set aside for the project. He told commissioners the committee also proposed reallocating about $193,000 from a prior multipurpose-area lighting allocation and drawing roughly $57,000 from the department’s current funds to cover the balance.

Ferguson said Musco met the board’s low light‑spill specification (0.25 foot‑candles along property lines), reporting a measured rate of 0.03 foot‑candles for Musco’s design versus 0.7–2.2 for the alternate bidder. He noted Musco’s warranty, a 10‑year parts and labor guarantee, and that Musco typically teams with local installers with prior West Georgia project experience.

Several commissioners said they respected the committee’s recommendation but questioned whether the superior fixture justified the approximately $400,000 price gap compared with the secondary bidder. "I just don't have enough information to convince me that either the other company couldn't do the same thing," one commissioner said; another suggested asking whether the lower bidder could submit a comparable fencing/fixture configuration, though county counsel warned that price confidentiality rules limit what can be asked after bids have been opened.

Because roughly 130 of the roughly 450 original fixtures were already out of service, Ferguson said the project was time‑sensitive but that work could not begin before Nov. 11, after the fall season. After discussion, the board voted to table the award until the November meeting so staff and legal counsel can identify what post‑bid clarifications are legally permissible. The chair announced the motion to table carried 5‑2.

Why it matters: The project would modernize outdoor sports lighting at county recreation facilities and reduce energy and maintenance costs, but commissioners deferred a multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar commitment pending clearer apples‑to‑apples comparisons and legal review.