Pettis County opens construction bids for remaining storm shelters

The Pettis County Commission on Tuesday opened construction bids for the remaining five storm shelters, which are expected to be completed in October 2010.

More than 20 contractors submitted proposals to provide work and equipment for the shelters, including reinforcing steel, structural steel, generators, electrical work, concrete flatwork, concrete footing and walls and the installation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

The county received no bids for concrete material, but commissioners said they will solicit separate proposals for those materials in the coming weeks.

County engineer Gary Strack said the county will issue close to 45 contracts stemming from Tuesday’s bid opening. Each of the nine bid packages will be separately evaluated for shelters at Skyline Elementary School, Sedalia, Green Ridge, Hughesville and Houstonia.

Strack said with numerous bids coming in at a wide range of prices, he expects to return contract recommendations to the commission in early 2010.

“It’s going to take a while to get through all of these. It may be after the first of the year,” Strack said.

Special Projects Director John Pollitt expects construction will start soon after the contracts are issued, and could begin as early as January. He said work could begin on as many as two or three of the shelters simultaneously, depending on whether the same contractors are hired for separate shelters.

About 75 percent of the $2.9 million project to construct eight storm shelters in the county will come from state and federal reimbursements. The county’s portion will be funded with money from the stimulus recovery zone bonds issued in October.

Shelters in La Monte and Maplewood have been completed, with crews now working on erecting the walls of the Smithton shelter. Pollitt said the deadline for completing all eight of the shelters is Oct. 15, 2010.

Strack said the bid packages drew significant interest from contractors in recent weeks, so he was not surprised by the large number of bidders.

“We were very pleased to see the number of bidders we had here,” said Presiding Commissioner Rusty Kahrs.

“Prices came in exceptionally well. We were very pleased with the prices we received."