Coffey County approves BG Consultants for trails engineering, contingent on federal grant

Coffey County commissioners voted to accept a proposal from BG Consultants for engineering services on a city/countywide trails planning and design project, contingent on the county’s RAISE (now called Build) grant agreement being signed by the Federal Highway Administration.

The board approved the motion unanimously after staff recapped a competitive RFP process in which four firms applied and two emerged as the top scorers. Road and Bridge Superintendent Ryan said the RAISE award made in 2024 covers engineering only; detailed designs would let the county pursue construction funding later. He advised that work on any contract would be contingent on the grant agreement being executed.

Commissioners discussed whether to invite the top two firms for in-person presentations but ultimately moved forward with staff’s recommendation under the contingency that FHWA signs the grant agreement. The motion to accept BG Consultants’ proposal passed on a voice vote with no recorded opposition.

The engineering work is intended to produce detailed trail designs that will guide later applications for construction funds. Ryan said communities affected by the trails will be consulted during design; some local funding or matching grants (K‑DOT, Kansas infrastructure hub programs or county funds) may be stacked when construction funding is sought.

Next steps: county staff will work with BG Consultants to draft a contract, subject to the executed FHWA grant agreement and final contract review by the county counselor.