Two proposals for an extensive mechanical upgrade at the Bartholomew County Jail were considered Monday.
A base bid of $2,300,000 was submitted by Dunlap and Co. of Columbus that would cover the basic costs of replacing the heating, ventilation, plumbing and air conditioning equipment in the older section of the jail.
The first of four options offered by Dunlap would increase the bid by $79,000 for replacing the boilers; the second by $12,500 for providing piping connections for a temporary boiler connection; the third by $17,825 for cleaning the duct work in the administrative section of the jail, and the fourth by $142,450 for providing new HVAC controls.
A Bloomington firm, Harrell-Fish, Inc., was the only other contractor who submitted a proposal with a base bid of $1,865,568.
The Monroe County firm offered the same type of alternate add-ons, county attorney Grant Tucker said. Harrell-Fish offered to replace the boilers for $73,900 more; hook up a temporary boiler for an additional $12,500; provide duct-work cleaning for $17,500 and install new controls for $12,500.
County officials were disappointed that only two companies submitted bids on a project that has been in the pipeline for several years. However, mechanical engineer Josh Apling of the Indianapolis-based DLZ Indiana said most public infrastructure projects are only attracting two or three bidders this year.
“It’s a pretty active market out there in construction,” Apling said. “Especially on the mechanical side.”
The HVAC and plumbing proposals were also very complicated and took both companies much time and effort, he said.
Last September,the three county commissioners approved a $155,000 professional services agreement with DLZ Indiana to design the extensive upgrades at the jail. Since then, Apling has been working extensively with Bartholomew County Maintenance Supervisor Rick Trimpe on the project, commissioners Chairman Carl Lienhoop said.
For several years, the county’s executive body has — as Lienhoop phrased it — “kicked the can down the road” in regard to new heating, air conditioning, plumbing and ventilation systems.
That was largely due to emerging priorities like security measures, health precautions, a new county highway garage, courthouse upgrades and drug treatment programs, the commissioners said.
It was only when local officials discovered the project qualifies for federal funding through the American Rescue Plan that the county decided to move forward, the commissioners said in earlier interviews.
Whatever company is chosen will likely need three-to-four months to make all necessary improvements, Apling said.
