County approves water-sampling contract, transit bus purchase and corridor lighting agreement

The Mesa County Board of County Commissioners approved three procurement and contract items at its March 10 meeting.

Wright Water Engineering: Keri Gudorf, regulatory programs manager, presented an agreement for the 2026 TMDL water-quality sampling program (selenium, iron and E. coli) covering reaches north of the Colorado River, including Leech Creek and Adobe Creek. The contract, a cost-share with the City of Grand Junction, Fruita, School District 51 and Grand Valley Water Users, was approved not to exceed $108,008.06. Gudorf said the state's Water Quality Control Division had stopped collecting data in 2018 and the county is collecting local data to support permit discussions and ensure state permit conditions align with local science.

Transit buses: Dana Broseig, TPO director, presented a purchase order for three low-floor compressed-natural-gas buses: one 29-foot Gillig bus priced at $7,763,755 (note: itemized in the record) and two 40-foot Gillig buses at $786,213 each (total listed in the record as $2,336,181.00). Funding comes from an FTA 5339 competitive grant (85% federal, 15% local match) and carbon-reduction funds (80% federal, 20% local match). Commissioners approved the purchase order 3-0.

Corridor lighting: Daniel Larkin, senior traffic engineer, requested approval of an agreement with Excel Energy to install and operate street lighting on the 32 1/2 Road corridor (to near Highway 6) at a cost of $182,004.59. Larkin said residents requested more lighting and that Excel would own and maintain the fixtures with the county paying a monthly fee. The board approved the agreement 3-0.

Each item passed on a unanimous voice vote; commissioners asked clarifying questions about data use for TMDL, federal/local match rates for bus purchases and whether franchise agreements exist for lighting in other jurisdictions.