Commissioners approve awarding base bid for community sewer project to Noble Excavating; funding and timelines clarified

County staff recommended awarding the base bid for a community sewer contract to Noble Excavating and the commissioners approved the recommendation during the April 2 meeting.

The packet listed a base bid and two alternates; staff clarified the current action was a recommendation to award the base bid only. Numbers in the materials were discussed in the meeting; staff said they included contingency planning and that alternatives could be considered later in construction if contingency funds remain.

An online commenter asked whether a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) would pay part of the project. Danielle Maiden responded that municipalities now have more flexibility with CDBG grants in some circumstances, explained that there are separate CDBG program types for water/sewer versus other infrastructure, and recommended the board consult the Department of Commerce CDBG coordinator (Rosie Goldage) for project-specific waiver or multiple-grant questions.

Staff said ARPA funds and statewide award dollars are contributors to the financing mix and that construction needs to be substantially complete by the end of 2025 (ARPA funds must be expended by year-end). The board approved signing the notice of award and asked staff to route contract documents and the site survey to the county attorney for finalization and requested electronic copies for routing.

The motion to award the base bid passed by voice vote; the packet lists the bidder as Noble Excavating and the base bid amount as shown in the meeting materials. The board did not vote on any alternates at this meeting.