Bank of Holly Springs

Bids for justice complex too high

Bids were opened in November for the construction of a new county justice court complex with six bidders participating.

They were opened, taken under advisement, and the architect Dean & Dean recommended the board of supervisors reject all bids.

Kent Smith, board attorney, said the bids came in nearly a million dollars or more, in some cases, over estimate.

The lowest bid had a substantial numerical error in it, he said, and the highest bid – $2.55 million ­– was over twice what engineers estimated it would cost to build the justice court complex, a simple sheet metal type structure. The low bidder withdrew their bid because of the error, Smith said.

The construction of the 80-bed jail facility was to bid out last after the lower cost items – the justice court building and a renovation of the old jail – were bid.

Smith said the architect will rebid this project, hoping to get the county a better bid on the new justice court complex.

The board of supervisors passed a motion to rebid the project Monday to include Phase I and II (justice court complex and the 80-bed jail facility).

In other financial matters, the board of supervisors opened bids on a lift station and force main project that would serve the McCormick warehouse.

In order of increasing dollar figures, the bids included:

• Yancey Brothers Construction, Collierville, Tenn. - $168,660.02

• Madden Phillips Construction, Collierville - $177,026

• Argo Construction Corporation, Cordova, Tenn. - $188,880

• White Construction, Byhalia - $189,905.58

• Delta Contractors, Jackson - $212,567.20

• Cleveland Construction, Hernando - $231,069.36

• KAJACS Contractors, Poplar Bluff, Mo. - $249,625

• Eubank Construction, Booneville - $255,008.20

• J.M. Duncan, Ripley - $294,377.60

Supervisors awarded the contract to Yancey Brothers. The engineer’s estimate for the project was $294,570.

In other business, the board of supervisors:

• approved payment of $93,449 to Dean and Dean for architectural design work on the jail/justice court expansion.

• discussed when law officers can step in when they find drug paraphernalia. Smith said stores can sell papers, and cannot charge with possession unless traces of controlled substances are found on drug paraphernalia such as pipes. Papers can be used for loose tobacco, he said, which is legal to smoke.

• approved school bus turnarounds for driveways in the county school district.

• approved payment of $120,300 in claims.

Holly Springs South Reporter

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Holly Springs, MS 38635
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