Floyd County commissioners approve road, equipment and service contracts; back Georgetown amphitheater grant

Floyd County commissioners on March 1 approved multiple procurement decisions, accepted a state grant to update critical 9-1-1 mapping data and authorized staff to sign a required stormwater report outside a regular meeting once counsel and staff complete a final review.

The board opened and recorded six bids for a Community Crossings road project, then took the bids under advisement for later action. County Attorney Christie Fox told the board that an apparent low bidder on the Grant Line Road project later withdrew a defective bid; the board entered a written decision accepting the withdrawal and agreed to award the contract to the next lowest responsible bidder, Seaford Construction, contingent on a standard-form contract reviewed by county counsel and staff.

Commissioners also approved awarding a bid for two tandem trucks and discussed financing options for fleet replacement. One commissioner suggested using GO Bond proceeds to sustain the fleet-rotation plan, and staff said the county has an established account with the Indiana Bond Bank that could simplify financing. Staff and commissioners agreed the final lease or loan paperwork from the lender would return to the board for formal approval.

Stormwater Director Chris Moore asked commissioners to accept a $7,500 SEEDS grant from the Indiana Office of Technology to bring the county’s parcel, centerline and address GIS layers up to NextGen 9-1-1 standards. "We are asking for $7,500," Moore said, adding the grant requires no local match and would be effective through March 31, 2027. The board approved accepting the award.

Moore also recommended renewing a Compasscom contract to maintain automated vehicle-location devices on public works vehicles. He outlined three payment options and recommended the annual plan as most cost-effective; commissioners directed payment from GIS funds and approved the annual schedule. Moore then reported the stormwater MS4 annual report is due April 1 and asked permission for staff to sign and submit the report outside a meeting after review by Moore, county counsel and the Chair; the board granted that authority.

EMA Director Kent Barrow recommended switching siren maintenance to SafetyComm of Bloomington, citing faster local response and a quoted cost of $8,100 for 18 sirens and the dispatch activation system, about $450 less than the previous vendor. "We’ve looked into SafetyComm," Barrow said, noting nearby jurisdictions have considered the same vendor. The board approved the contract change.

The board approved an ordinance establishing a county grant fund (Ordinance 2026-03, fund number 80001) at the auditor’s request, authorized two independent appraisals for county-owned property at 2524 Cordon Pike (Resolution 2026-02) and accepted a negotiated contract with Caldwell Environmental for household hazardous-waste collection. The board also approved meeting minutes from Feb. 17, payroll and claims before adjourning.

Several items approved during the session were contingent on later paperwork: Moore said lease-financing documents with US Bancorp would be returned to the board for formal signature, and Fox asked that the Seaford Construction contract be reviewed by staff and counsel and be permitted to be signed outside the meeting to expedite work.

The meeting ended with no public comments and an adjournment motion.