Commissioners reject bids and order re-advertisement for Bugtussle volunteer fire station after contractor specification errors

The Pittsburg County Board of County Commissioners voted June 29 to reject the bids received earlier for the construction of a new Bugtussle Volunteer Fire Department building after an official letter from the fire department pointed out errors in the published specifications. The board also approved Resolution 26-323 to re-advertise the project with corrected specifications.

Chairman Ross Selman read a letter from Bugtussle Volunteer Fire Department asking the county to reject the bids because the original request for proposals included incorrect specifications for lighting and the size and type of the garage doors. "We are rejecting all bids and would like to re-advertise due [to] the incorrect specifications regarding lighting and the garage doors on the original specifications," the department wrote in a letter included with the agenda materials.

Commissioners voted unanimously to reject the bids and to re-advertise the project, and directed staff to publish a new invitation to bid consistent with the Oklahoma Public Competitive Bidding Act. The re-advertisement will include corrected technical specs and the required bid bond and affidavits. The County's bid notice states sealed proposals will be received in the county clerk's office and that bids will be publicly opened in the commissioners' meeting room on the posted date.

Officials said the re-advertisement is intended to ensure fair competition and to prevent later change orders for features that were not described correctly in the original request-for-bids package. No award of construction was made at the meeting.

The board approved a related resolution earlier in the meeting to reject bids for the same project and to instruct staff to re-open the procurement process after clarifying the specifications. Bugtussle's letter is included in the county packet and on file with the County Clerk.