Cowlitz County approves Tower Road bridge contract and routine consent items

Cowlitz County commissioners voted to approve routine consent items and to award the Tower Road Bridge at Rock Creek culvert project to the lowest bidder after public works staff confirmed funding sources.

County Engineer Susan (County Engineer) told the board the project received six bids that "ranged from" roughly $2.68 million to more than $12 million and that the low bid exceeded the engineer's estimate by about $350,000. She said the county has adequate funding from state sources and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and recommended the board award the project to Quig Brothers (speaker corrected the company suffix in the record).

Commissioners moved, seconded and approved the bid award; the transcript records the vote as passing but does not specify individual vote tallies.

Earlier in the meeting the board approved a consent agenda that included a bid award to Sterling Breen Crushing Inc. for aggregate rock used in summer road work (transcript lists the amount in-line as 421,21649; formatting ambiguous) and announced a set of upcoming calls for bids, a contract extension with Facet Northwest to update the county's critical areas ordinance, several appointments (Homeless Housing Task Force, parks and recreation board, Veterans Advisory Board) and vouchers totalling $6,692,200.85.

No public opposition to the bridge award was recorded during the motion. Commissioners indicated they would proceed with the recommended contractor subject to standard contracting steps.