PORT ANGELES — Hoch Construction Inc. of Port Angeles received a $496,542 bid award to build a new roof on the Clallam County courthouse Tuesday.
Hoch submitted the lowest bid among five the county received last week.
The money to pay for the energy-efficient roof above the main courthouse structure comes from the 2009 real estate excise tax. Use of the revenue from the tax is limited to major maintenance or capital projects.
Commissioner Mike Chapman said the best part of the contract is the fact that Hoch is a local contractor.
Pubic Works Director Craig Jacobs made the recommendation to commissioners Chapman and Mike Doherty in Monday’s work session. He said the county prefers to hire local contractors.
“But obviously, the bidding is open to everybody,” he said.
Snyder Roofing LLC of Portland was the second-lowest bidder at $620,195.
Other bids came from Scholten Roofing Inc. of Bellevue ($740,000), John Lupo Construction Inc. of Aberdeen ($774,900) and Wright Roofing Inc. of Tacoma ($975,630).
Hoch gets an additional $18,084 for bird spikes on the parapet walls and skylight canopies above the Clallam County jail in the agreement, which the two commissioners are expected to sign today.
The third commissioner, Steve Tharinger, is away this week and did not attend the board meeting or work session.
Construction crews will rip out the old roof on top of the main courthouse structure and install a specially insulated roof with a synthetic membrane to save energy.
The project is expected to be completed by early fall, Jacobs said.
Salt Creek project
In other items, the quorum signed four right-of-way agreements for the remaining easements for Salt Creek culvert replacement, a joint habitat restoration project between the county and the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe.
Specifically, the county purchased 0.14 acres from David and Cindy Colthorp for $4,687.50 and smaller easements from Konning and Maria Pena for $552.50, Nancy Crozier for $285.82 and Lula Rumbaugh for $225.
Other right-of-way agreements for the projects have been signed.
“These four rights of way here make it possible for us, now, to finish up the second phase of the project,” Jacobs said in Monday’s work session.
The Lower Elwha Klallam tribe is funding the project through grants.
“We’re doing contracting, administration, design and obviously the right-of-way portions of it as a partner in the project,” Jacobs said.
“These should be the last four easements we have.”
A formal contract for the completion of the Mount Pleasant Road widening and resurfacing project was delayed to July 21.
The county has accepted a $470,924.05 bid from Lakeside Industries Inc. of Port Angeles.
“We are going to ask for additional funding from the ARRA [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act] funds,” Jacobs said.
Since the project came in above the engineer’s estimate, there is a possibility the state will approve additional funding for the county, Jacobs said.
The two-week delay will allow county officials submit a budget supplement to Olympia for review.
“If they get on board with that, that could put another $50,000 to $60,000 into the project fund to cover the difference,” Jacobs said.
“It’s worth a couple weeks to make that try.”
Meanwhile, the state Department of Social and Health Services Division of Disabilities has cut funding for Clallam County Health and Human Services by about 20 percent amid this year’s budget crunch.
This year’s contract has a maximum consideration of $787,932, said Willie Burer, Human Services Planner for Clallam County Developmental Disabilities.
The federal government is paying $419,451 of that total. The state’s share is $368,481.
The contract runs between July 1 and June 30, 2010. It serves county residents with developmental disabilities. No action was taken on the matter Tuesday.
Fairgrounds sidewalk
The county will also apply for a one-year, $4,500 Haller Foundation grant to build a wheelchair-accessible sidewalk at the Clallam County Fairgrounds.
The proposed sidewalk will connect the center restroom with the central showers and southern animal barns.
For people using crutches, walkers, canes, strollers and wheelchairs, the current lawn crossing is difficult to manage, according to the application. This sidewalk is in the fairgrounds master plan.
Albert Haller Foundation grants are made on a yearly basis and limited to 5 percent of the net income for the previous fiscal year.
“We’ve used the Haller Foundation a number of times out at the fairgrounds,” Jacobs said.
“They’ve been a good funding source and a good community support group for our projects.”
In advance of the Aug. 18 primary election, the commissioners approved a $17,491.10 personal services contract agreement with Everett-based K&H Printers for the printing and distribution of 12,626 ballots.
The clerk of the board revised Tuesday’s agenda to include a public hearing on the sale of surplus county property at Towne Road for the Dungeness River floodplain restoration project.
Two houses the county owns will go up for sale Aug. 28. The buyers will be required to remove the structures and foundations by September 2010.
No public testimony was taken in the hearing.
The county will accept public comment on the sale until Friday.
More information about the proposal is available by e-mailing the commissioners or phoning them at 360-417-2233.
Public comment can be e-mailed to commissioners@co.clallam.wa.us or mailed to: Clallam County Commissioners, 223 E. Fourth St., Suite 4, Port Angeles.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
