SCAD awards building contracts

In other action, the board opened bids on a new radio tower at the Dexter facility. The specifications call for a 140' tower, which will replace the 60' current tower. The following companies submitted bids on the tower project: Battles Communications of Dexter with a bid of $32,324.90; G&D Communication of Sikeston with a bid of $28,132.91; and Johnson Communications of Cape Girardeau with a bid of $53,412.88.

Chuck Kasting, assistant Ambulance District director, recommended that the board table any action on awarding the tower contract until Director Dave Cooper is present. Cooper has been in south Texas working on relief efforts following Hurricane Ike.

Director Al Banken made a motion to take the bids under advisement and it was approved by a 5-0 vote. All board members were present.

The meeting opened with Chairman Sam Huey calling on City Attorney Bud Lawrence to address legal issues concerning the awarding of the contract for remodeling and construction of the new ambulance facility. Huey asked Lawrence about the legal ramifications of awarding the bid to someone other than the lower bidder. Brown Construction of Dexter was he second lowest bidder with a bid of $2,491,000.

Lawrence told the board, "you have to have good reason not to take the lower bidder." He said that usually stemmed from concerns about whether the contractor would do a quality job, or past job references which caused the board concern.

Lawrence asked the board, "If it were your money, would you want to spend $300,000 more?"

"I'm like you all, I would like to see a local contractor get the project, but that's what happens when you take sealed bids," Lawrence stated.

Architect Gary Barbee, with Sam Winn and Associates of Springfield, who was retained to design the project, distributed a booklet that included a summation of the two lowest bids, plus extensive information from the contractors about licensing, experience, past projects, and trade references. Barbee noted that both companies have good references.

Barbee said he had worked with Sides Construction in the past and that they had done quality work. It was also noted that Sides Construction would be using some local sub-contractors for the project.

He noted that bids from both Sides Construction and Brown Construction were increased slightly for the addition of steel joists in the safe room. Barbee said this was required by the state.

The motion was made by Director Anthony Sifford to accept the bid from Sides Construction and it was seconded by Director Sue Welborn. It passed by a 4-1 vote with Banken voting no.

Barbee then turned to the bids for cabinets. He said Busy B's Lumber submitted the low bid of $39,971.81, but did not fill out the required paperwork. He said on examination, the bid did not include the cost of labor. The second lowest bid was submitted by Cabinet Bath and Supply, whose bid was $44,955. At the bid opening Cabinet Bath and Supply did not include the bid bond, but Barbee said it had been received by his office shortly after the bid opening on Sept. 11.

Welborn made the motion to award the contract to Cabinet Bath and Supply and it was seconded by Stubbee May. It passed by a 4-0 vote with Banken abstaining.

The board received only one bid for kitchen equipment and that was from Sikeston Restaurant Supply. Barbee said the bid contained only one food warmer, when the specifications called for three. He said he called the bidder and asked what it would cost to add two food warmers. Barbee said the cost was $750.

Banken made the motion to accept the bid from Sikeston Restaurant Supply and it was seconded by Welborn. It passed by a 5-0 vote.

Barbee asked the board to approve the bid for hardware for the construction project. He said they received only one bid, and that was from Kansas Building Supply for $37,768. Barbee said that was well within the amount budgeted.

The board awarded the contract for the equipment by a 5-0 vote.

New Tower

The old 60' radio tower will have to be torn down because it was located where new construction will take place, according to Kasting. Kasting said the board made the decision to construct a larger tower to assure that the district always has optimum communications, even under adverse situtations.

Kasting said the ice storm last winter was a learning experience for district employees. He explained that the main repeater tower, a 1500' tower, is located at Aquilla and is leased. The radio tower at Dexter sends a signal to the repeater tower, which makes communications throughout the county possible. During the ice storm the repeater tower went to battery backup, which was good for only 36 hours. That time elapsed before electricity was restored. The tower at Dexter was not large enough to make direct communications with all parts of the county, especially the Advance area. Direct communications with that area had to be routed through Puxico.

The new tower will be powerful enough to make direct communications with all parts of the county, even under such circumstances, according to Kasting.

The board will award that contract for construction of the tower at their next meeting.