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Carroll County delays HVAC and demolition bids, kills MVC irrigation bid and approves MVC laundry paving change order
Summary
Facing bids that exceeded budget, commissioners voted to reissue the HVAC RFP, tabled a farm‑building demolition award, killed the MVC irrigation system bid and approved a $17,992 pavement change order for the MVC laundry addition.
Carroll County commissioners moved May 18 to delay or halt several facilities projects after bids came in above budget and staff raised concerns about procurement procedures and project timing. The board also approved a $17,992 change order for the MVC laundry addition paving.
Facilities Director Bob Murray reported bids for three heating and hot‑water projects covering MVC, the DPW garage unit heater and Annex boilers came in well above the $248,000 budget. Pinacle bid $406,000 and ENE Systems bid $369,275; ENE later offered a revised price of $241,908 if Annex work were removed. Commissioner Harold B. Parker suggested dropping the Annex work and rebidding; Murray said a leaking water heater at MVC argued against rebidding, and Executive Director Mellisa Seamans objected to awarding outside the original RFP. The commission opted to put the project back out to RFP with a short window rather than award the contract at this meeting.
On the farm building removal project, the budgeted amount is $52,000. Bids opened at the May 4 meeting ranged from Cobalt Construction at $37,800 to JM Demolition at $202,210; Facilities Director Murray recommended awarding to Cobalt and retaining $14,200 for hazardous waste removal. The board tabled the item until the June 1 meeting.
MVC Administrator Rich Leboeuf asked commissioners to postpone awarding the MVC irrigation system bid and revisit the project in six months; the board voted to kill the bid process and not move forward (Parker/Chandler, 3‑0). Separately, Murray said site work on the MVC laundry addition is progressing with paving scheduled and rooftop units installed; the board approved a $17,992 change order to add a 40‑foot section of pavement (Chandler/Parker, 3‑0).
Public commenters raised questions about the speed of awarding bids. Dallas Emery asked whether both bidders had been given an opportunity to rebid; Fred Cain said hurrying award decisions was unnecessary and welcomed the decision not to move forward with the irrigation project.
What happens next: The board will reissue the HVAC RFP with a short window, rehear the farm‑building removal on June 1, and revisit the irrigation project separately if circumstances change.
