Muskegon County Public Works Board approves equipment purchases, leases and $169,775 farm-floor replacement

The Muskegon County Public Works Board on April 9 approved a series of routine contracts and property agreements and voted to award a $169,775 contract to replace the farm-floor and install new floor drains at the Resource Recovery Center.

Board chair opened the meeting and the board moved to approve an amended agreement allowing the Rocketry Club’s parent organization — which holds the club’s insurance — to be the contracting party. Dave Johnson, Resource Recovery Center staff, told the board the change is administrative and reflects the parent organization’s request that it appear as the contracting party.

The board also approved a one-year extension of an existing electrical repair services contract with C and C Electric LLC. Johnson said the county has been satisfied with the contractor’s work and that the extension is the first of two one-year options in the original contract.

Commissioners approved a request to grant an agricultural license allowing Cantola Quality Farms to farm 28.3 acres of Resource Recovery Center property that is subject to the existing Consumers Energy lease. Johnson described the action as a sublease that offers no direct financial benefit to the county but allows use of fallow land adjacent to the farm manager’s property.

On equipment, the board accepted a $109,421 bid from Sigma Ag Solutions to purchase and install one irrigation rig. Johnson said the rig was fully depreciated and the county expects replacement units to approach a 15-year service life.

The largest single capital item on the agenda was the farm-floor project. The board moved to award RFP 26-2617 to Jackson Murphy Contractors in the amount of $169,775 and to amend the FY2026 capital budget. Johnson and Mike Clover, farm manager for the Resource Recovery Center, described the work as a complete demolition of the existing concrete floor, excavation and installation of catch basins and plumbing out to a permitted drain field, followed by an epoxy finish. "They'll go ahead and cut it out, remove it, do any excavation dirt work that they need to do to put the new catch basins, drains in, all the plumbing, everything to go out to the drain field, and then repour, and then finish with epoxy," Clover said.

Vice Chair Herman questioned timing and partial budgeting for the work, asking why it had to be done this year and noting concerns about how the item fit into current reserves and the capital plan. Johnson said the project had been planned previously and delayed, and that the epoxy finish is included in the contract price. The board approved the farm-floor contract on a roll-call vote with Herman voting no and a majority voting yes.

The board also approved unit-price awards for agricultural chemicals (fertilizers and herbicides) to multiple vendors, which staff said lock in unit prices though total quantities will vary.

The meeting record shows the board handled these items as routine business; several motions were approved by voice vote and others were approved on roll call. No litigation, emergency actions or closed-session items were recorded. The board then filed routine monthly reports and moved to public comment before adjourning.

The board took the following formal actions: award of an irrigation rig for $109,421; first one-year extension of an electrical repair services contract; approval of an agricultural license to farm 28.3 acres; unit-price awards for agricultural chemicals; and the award of a $169,775 contract to replace the farm floor and install drains.