Bids opened for fire station

The Marshall County Board of Supervisors received 11 bids to build the fire station in the Chickasaw Trail Industrial Park. It will be built on a lot adjacent to the Workforce Training Center on Cayce Road near Wingo Road.

County engineer Larry Britt read the bids as follows:

Austin Construction Company —$5,284,000.

Barnes & Brower — $4,310,900.

Ergon Construction Group — $5,060,700.

Fifer and Associates — $3,765,000.

Fulwood Construction Company —$4,200,574.

Grinder, Taper & Grinder — $4,552,112.

Hill Construction LLC — $5,149,000.

Hooker Construction — $5,365,000.

Roberts Builders — $4,972,000.

Timbos Construction — $3,898,603.

W&T Construction Corporation —$6,049,000.The engineers estimate for the project was $3,900,000.

Britt said Fifer withdrew its bid because it left out $1 million from its bid.

The next lowest bid was Timbos.

Britt said there were some issues with Timbos bid which left out some allowances, including a fixed fee of $50,000 that should be at 10 percent, but the bid listed the fixed fee at 100 percent.

“We don’t want to start up on the wrong foot,” Britt said, adding that Timbos may become the lowest bidder.

Board attorney Amanda Whaley Smith recommended that the board accept Fifer’s withdrawal of its bid. As for Timbos, she said the concerns the company left off some allowances and the problem with the 100 percent plus percentage that would raise the fixed fee to $100,000, were issues.

“Fulwood Construction is next,” Britt said, adding that the company is also doing some work at the Byhalia School.

“Your choices put you to Fulwood, even though they are over $300,000 over (the engineer’s estimate). I’ve never known a bid to go down when you bid it again.”

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III asked if Timbos would have an architect.

“Yes, if we agree, we have to pay double,” Britt said.

District 2 supervisor Johnny Walker, who he said was familiar with the quality of work of Fulwood, recommended the board go with the company’s bid of $4,200,575. The board approved his motion unanimously.

Britt brought up several projects the county has working — the Battery Plant, and the Blackwater Bridge Federal RAISE Grant.

RAISE is a Department of Transportation discretionary grant program for investments in surface transportation infrastructure that will have a significant local or regional impact.

Britt said the Mississippi Legislature left it to the Marshall County Board of Supervisors to take bids on the Project Poppy (battery plant) project.

“I was concerned a lot of these things were rushed up on this project,” the engineer said. “Typically, State law requires to advertise for two weeks and after that take bids in 16 days.”

He recommended the board allow county administrator Tim Powell set the bid dates so the board does not have to wait so long between meetings to get the bidding process moving.

The board unanimously approved a motion by Walker, seconded by Zinn, to keep a fast track on the bid process.

Britt asked the board if it wants to move to reapply for a RAISE Grant on the Blackwater Bridge project in District 4.

County consultant Gary Anderson said the county has to come up with $500,000 in matching funds, if the RAISE Grant is funded upon a second application. Last year’s application for the grant was not approved by the Legislature.

Anderson explained the bridge is vital for people who live in the area to get in and out of the area. Blackwater Road connects with Odell Road to the north and to Highway 310 to the south.

A motion to apply for the grant was first approved by a vote of 4-1 with Walker voting nay, saying he wants to know more about the project.

“I would want it if it was in my district,” said District 5 supervisor Ronnie O’Neil Bennett.

A second vote on the project passed by a vote of 3-2 with District 3 supervisor Keith Taylor and Walker voting against the application for the grant.

Walker digressed.

“I have a situation where a lady lost her life and her sister’s in a coma,” he said.

He asked to get flashing lights on each side of the curve in Clear Creek Road where the accident took place. He said the ladies were from Collierville, Tenn., and in the area visiting relatives when the accident took place.

“Back to Mr. Zinn’s Blackwater,” said Taylor. “I’ve never been on it (the road). All I’m saying is I wouldn’t have a problem with $500,000 — $500,000 would pave a lot of roads and is coming out of our budget. If I could see some concessions, I would be for it. Everybody has a road they need to do.”

Zinn defended his project.

In a separate interview, Zinn explained that the Federal RAISE Grant, if approved, would require $500,000 matching dollars while the prior application that was not funded, had $200,000 in it for a match.

He asked for fairness across the board in each district.

District 1 supervisor Charles Terry asked that the widening of Red Banks Road be kept in the county’s request for Local and Private Bills.

Anderson said the requests for Local and Private legislation to build railroad overpasses in Byhalia and Potts Camp are still in the mix at the Capitol.

“Are there any other?” he asked.

“Red Banks Road,” said Taylor.

Anderson said the Ways and Means Committee in the legislature has indicated there will be no appropriation for road bonds this session.

He said HB 774, a betting bill, is getting ready to be passed in the House. If it passes, 12 percent of the revenues will go to the 82 counties to finance road and bridge projects.