Oldham County awards $65,500 contract for health-department stormwater basin; grant covers most costs

At its March 17 meeting Oldham County Fiscal Court awarded a contract to PAF Construction for a detention-basin improvement at the Oldham County Health Department.

County Engineer Jim Sllman told the court that bids were opened March 3 and the low responsive bidder was PAF Construction of Columbus, Indiana, with a total bid of $65,500 to improve the basin and perform related landscaping. Sllman said the project is part of a Curry's Fork 319(h) federal grant (federal fiscal year 2022) that funded analysis of three basins and identified one demonstration project for construction.

Sllman said about $15,000 of the project cost will be covered by the stormwater district's budget as the required match; the remaining amount will be reimbursed by the federal grant and administered through fiscal court. He noted the grant deadline requires construction and paperwork to be finished by September of the grant year.

Magistrates also discussed broader stormwater policy, including a regional facilities fee that charges property owners a per-gallon fee for post-development runoff instead of requiring on-lot detention. Magistrate Lyens explained the fee calculation and said Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) already uses a similar approach; officials asked staff to invite MSD to present on its regional-fee program and consider appointing a fiscal-court representative for coordination.

The court approved awarding the $65,500 contract and authorized the county to proceed with the demonstration project.