Bid openings, both current and future, filled the Tuesday, November 14, Greenbrier County Commission meeting. Several of the projects still include damage resulting from the flood of 2016.
Deputy Director of Greenbrier County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Paula Brown presented two Hazard Mitigation Grant Program bids to the commission for approval.
“These are still in relation to the 2016 floods,” explained Brown. “Several individuals fell out of this that were approved by [RISE West Virginia], these are the remaining reconstruction projects that are going through [the Federal Emergency Management Agency]. What you have in there is a package for each of those projects from those two contractors.
There’s two new constructions in these projects and, in [project one], … there’s two demos. We’re not getting the demos today.
For readability, this article will use project number one for project DR427372, while project number two is DR427341.
“I have 3J’s Construction and Electric … it appears the contract price submitted [for the first project] would be $350,000,” read Commissioner Tammy Shifflett-Tincher. “[For the second project], the amount is $350,000.”
“I have Persinger and Associates Inc. and for [project one], the amount is $430,000 and for [project two], the amount is $549,000,” read Commissioner Mike McClung.
Typically, bids go for review by their respective county bodies or the commissioners themselves, but these projects were on the fast track, with Brown noting that “the scope of the work was very clear” in the bid package.
“I would make that motion to approve 3J construction as the awarded bidder for the low bid, provided everything is in order for Paula Brown,” Tincher said.
The motion was approved.
In other business:
– A Greenbrier County Public Service District Number 2 board appointment was approved by the commission. Howard McQuain Jr.’s term expires on January 30, meaning the commission had to reappoint him or select another board member. Tincher also said “Quan is currently the chair of the PSD Number 2 board and does a fantastic job, is very involved, and I am happy to make the motion for him to serve that organization.” The motion was approved.
– Two resolutions relating to the Tax Increment Financing infrastructure projects were approved, dealing with the ongoing Big Draft Road waterline extension (Pro Contracting Inc. totaling $102,656.69 and E. L. Robinson Engineering totaling $18,259.35) and Church Street stormwater replacement ($53,263.08 to Hull’s Contracting) projects. Commission President Lowell Rose also noted that “when they took the waterline line up through Moneghue Drive and tied into Route 92, one of the local contractors had hooked up to the fire hydrants on Route 92 and found that … they had very low water pressure, about 50 pounds. There’s gonna be another TIF project added eventually that will put a new water tank … that will boost the pressure where it need to be for that entire way.”
– The commission was awarded a $100,000 Courthouse Facility Improvement grant, planned to be used to upgrade the courthouse’s sprinkler system for fire suppression. Tincher noted this would not cover the entire cost, but would help.
– Project Coordinator Matt Ford explained to the commission that the Meadow River Rail Trail project is still ongoing. Court Street Construction was the low bidder for the Greenbrier County portions of FEMA repairs to the trail, from Russellville to Burdette’s Creek. DOH will then bid another contractor to resurface after these repairs. Court Street Construction’s contract was approved by the commission. Ford said “this contract is going to turn dollars into gravel and I’m pretty excited about that.”
– The commission approved the formation of a Meadow River Rail Trail committee for the next phase of the project. Ford explained “we received a grant from [the Abandoned Mine Lands program] to design and construct the last 6.4 miles of the trail, [next to] where the FEMA repairs will be done. … It was purchased in 2018. We sent out a request for qualifications from architecture firms and we … need a committee to review those statements of qualifications. The goal is … to conduct interviews the first week of January with the goal of the county making a selection during the Commission meeting on January 11.” The committee includes the three commissioners, Ruthana Beezley, the economic development director for GVEDC, Dan Evans, a member of the planning commission and Greenbrier River Trail organization, and Ford.
– Two new hires were approved for the Greenbrier County 911 Center, filling vacancies. One of the hires was a rehire that requires no training.
– “I wish everybody a Merry Christmas, we won’t see you before,” Tincher said. “Merry Christmas,” Rose agreed.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.