WORTHINGTON -- Following a March 1 bid opening, Public Works Director Stephen Schnieder presented Nobles County Commissioners on Tuesday with bids for the completion of the Nobles County 35 road project between Adrian and Rushmore.
Six bids were received for the project, all of which came in above the engineer's estimate of $5,318,896.59. The low bid was presented by Duininck Bros. Inc., of Prinsburg, at $5,403,041.25, with the high bid coming in at more than $7.1 million.
"They were good bids," said Schnieder, adding that transportation costs and inflation were likely factors in why the bids came in above the engineer's estimate. "We have worked with most of these contractors in the past."
Commissioners tabled acceptance of the low bid as a result of missing paperwork from the state regarding Duininck's plans to have up to 10 percent of its employees for the project consist of people who are considered disadvantaged business workers. Schnieder said all of the information should be available by the board's March 20 meeting for approval.
Plans are for work to begin on Nobles County 35 following Memorial Day, with an estimated completion date of mid- to late-October. Schnieder said the preference is to wait until after Memorial Day to begin the project to prevent disruption to farmers doing spring field work, as well as to avoid disruption of school bus routes at the end of the school year.
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In addition to the update on Nobles County 35, commissioners approved a resolution requesting the state legislature pass a comprehensive funding package for transportation in 2007. The resolution calls for increased investments in state and local road and transit systems in Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area.
Schnieder said the state's transportation investment needs -- above and beyond what is already funded -- are estimated at more than $1.5 billion per year for the next 10 years.
Among the areas identified as potential revenue sources to fund transportation are a 10-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax, an increase in vehicle registration taxes, trunk highway bonding of $100 million per year over a 10-year period, general obligation bonding for local roads and bridges, authority for counties to create a .5 percent increase in the state sales tax with funds dedicated for transportation purposes, and the ability for counties to impose a transportation impact fee and/or $20 wheelage fee.
In other action, the board:
- Authorized Nobles County Human Services Director Lee McAllister to establish a credit card for the adult mental health social worker. The card would be used to pay for mentally ill clients to take part in community activities.
The social worker currently has to pay for the activities and await reimbursement. A credit limit of $500 was set.
- Approved conditional use permits for Murphy-Bents Joint Venture to operate a gravel pit in the southeast quarter of Section 24, Graham Lakes Township; Murphy-Bents Joint Venture to operate a gravel pit in the easterly 105 acres in the northeast quarter of Section 4, Ransom Township; Son-D-Farms of Adrian to construct four 82- by 120-foot total confinement barns for hog production in the southwest quarter of Section 29, Olney Township; and Wolf Pork LLC of Adrian to expand an existing feedlot with the addition of two total confinement barns for hog production in the southeast quarter of Section 35, Westside Township.
- Approved reclassification of the county's environmental officer from a pay grade 18 to grade 19, effective April 1. The grade change was requested after an evaluation revealed a change in duties related to the position.
