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Committee awards County Z contract to James Peterson and Sons; approves using ARPA funds to cover shortfall
Summary
The Adams County Highway Committee approved awarding the County Trunk Highway Z contract to James Peterson and Sons and voted to use $200,000 in previously reallocated ARPA funds (before tapping the Quarry account) to cover an $83,500 shortfall after oversight and admin fees pushed the low bid above the project allocation.
The Adams County Highway Committee voted to award the County Trunk Highway Z contract to James Peterson and Sons and approved using reallocated ARPA funds to cover a budget shortfall.
Pat, the county highway official, told the committee the project attracted several bidders and that "the low bid was $1,550,009.08," but that adding construction oversight and an administrative fee pushed the total above the amount the county had previously allocated. Pat said the combined items left the project about "$83,500 over budget."
Kyle, a county official who reviewed the earlier board resolution on ARPA funds, said the county had previously transferred $200,000 from an unspent splash‑pad allocation into the highway department and that ARPA‑eligible projects identified in the prior resolution could cover public‑works costs incurred in 2025–26. He reminded the committee that ARPA funds must be spent by the end of 2026.
Committee members discussed alternatives to cover the gap: Pat identified an existing Quarry account with about $600,000 that the county has used for construction before, while Kyle said the ARPA transfer was authorized by the December 2024 county board resolution. After discussion, the committee moved and carried a motion to use the ARPA dollars before drawing on the Quarry funds; the chair recorded the motion as carried by voice vote.
On the procurement itself, Pat and other members described James Peterson and Sons and the other bidders as reputable firms with prior work in Adams County. Committee discussion noted contractor mobilization and field‑office line items can vary by bidder strategy and distance. A subsequent motion to proceed with the low bidder was recorded in the transcript as "Motion made by Bubba" and "Second by Austin," and the committee approved the award by voice vote. Pat indicated the contractor was likely to begin work after Labor Day, with an early September start mentioned as the contractor's expectation.
The committee directed staff to return with any required paperwork and numbers next month to finalize the approach and confirmed that formal notice and contract administration steps would follow the committee's approval.
The committee also asked staff to identify whether any additional approvals or accounting transfers would be necessary to move ARPA funds for this project.
