Muskegon County board unanimously awards $8.53 million landfill contract to D and R Earth Moving

The Muskegon County Board of Public Works on March 24 voted unanimously to award construction of landfill Cell 7 base work, Cell 6 cap phase 5 final cover and west entrance infrastructure to D and R Earth Moving LLC for the low bid of $8,532,767, with a 20% contingency.

County staff member Mr. Vanden Bosch said staff called a short-notice meeting because vendors reported sharp increases and tightening availability for geosynthetic materials used in landfill liners. “The vendors have told us that the price of the geosynthetics has increased in just that week 25% to 30%,” he said, urging the board to lock a purchase price to avoid further escalation.

The motion, read into the record by the chair, included the contractor name and the 20% contingency to cover elevated geosynthetic costs and other unforeseen items. Staff clarified the board had budgeted roughly $13.6 million for the project; the second-low bidder was about $10.4 million, and with contingency the award totals about $10.2 million compared with the engineer’s estimate, staff said.

A commissioner asked whether the geosynthetic liner would be supplied and installed by the general contractor. Mr. Vanden Bosch explained that general contractors typically subcontract liner supply and installation to a specialist vendor. He demonstrated liner samples and described the materials as high-density polyethylene, noting the base liner is more rigid and the cover liner is more flexible to accommodate settling.

Mr. Vanden Bosch identified Greg Leverence as the county’s solid waste supervisor and said the Cell 7 base covers about 13 acres while the gap cell cover is about 9.4 acres — roughly 22 acres total. He told the board he expects filling of Cell 7 to begin in early 2027 and warned that missing the upcoming construction season could jeopardize available landfill capacity.

After brief questions, the board conducted a roll-call vote; the motion carried unanimously. The contract award and contingency were approved and staff may proceed with finalizing procurement and scheduling construction.

The county also noted that the liner and layered system meet state regulatory requirements designed to make the landfill impermeable and protect groundwater; staff referred to those regulatory requirements during the presentation.

Next steps: staff will finalize the purchase order and scheduling to lock material pricing and mobilize construction in coordination with the county’s solid waste supervisor.