by Matt Hughes
J-E News Editor
The Webster County Fiscal Court took steps on Monday to finally be able to begin construction on the new Webster County Animal Shelter by sorting through bids for all but one of the items on the county’s to-do list.
The lone item not voted on was the construction of the interior of the building. Officials felt that the lone bid of $30,500 from Riverside Builders of Marion, KY was slightly more than they were wanting to pay.
Awarded bids:
•Providence Home Center: $19,228.48 for interior materials.
•Mason Company of Leesburg Ohio: $56,574.10 for dog pens and gates.
•31W in Henderson: $3,808 for insulation.
•Total Electric of Morganfield: $21,000 for electrical installation.
•E&M of Sebree: $15,706 for HVAC and radiant heated floor and $15,410 for plumbing and septic installation.
•Jeremy Brown of Slaughters: $28,500 for concrete work.
•Schriber Construction of Henderson: $64,980 for building labor and materials.
Of the selected bids, two of those chosen were not the lowest. The court selected Schriber to construct the building simply for communication reasons. A lower bidder said that they could only be contacted from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Riverside Builders of Marion, who submitted a lower bid on the concrete work, did not include a pump truck in their estimates, but because of the heated floors, construction will require a pump truck.
The total award bids amount to $220,005.10, slightly more than the original $200,000 estimate.
“We can’t go over $250,000,” said Webster County Treasurer Paula Guinn. “At $250,000 prevailing wage laws kick in and our cost will go up by a lot.”
“You’ll pay a third more if your cost go over $250,000,” said Mark Moser, the owner of E&M who was on hand for the opening of bids.
In other business, Magistrate Jerry “Poogie” Brown requested that the road department work on a short spur road off of New Steamport Road near Sebree.
“It goes off to the left when you get to the top of the hill,” Brown said.
During a brief discussion with the road department it was concluded that the section of road in question was actually part of the road before the parkway was constructed. At that time New Steamport Road was rerouted and the section of road in question was unofficially abandoned by the county.
“We’ll get the paperwork together and make that a county road,” said Judge Executive Jim Townsend.
Jana Ranes of Onton and Chris Reynolds of Sebree were appointed to the Extension District Board. There are four members appointed by the court who each serve two year terms.
Once again the tree on Hester Winstead Road near Slaughters was a part of the discussion.
“After our last meeting I sent Jimmy Gentry, the attorney for Roger Winstead, a letter advising him that the Pettus family had been at the Fiscal Court meeting and claimed that the road has been in it’s current location for sixty years,” said County Attorney Clint Prow. “I informed them that we were proceeding with the survey.”
Gentry and his client apparently responded to the letter requesting that the survey be delayed. The letter was not read in open court, but discussion seemed to imply that Gentry and Winstead believed they were taking sides with the Pettus family.
“I did not say that we were taking sides, just that we were proceeding with the survey,” said Prow.
“I was surprised that the Pettus’ were here,” added Judge Townsend. “We did not ask them to be here, they came on their own.”
The county is awaiting survey results on the road to determine if the tree is in the county’s right-of-way. If it is, the tree will likely be cut down, which has been the struggle since earlier in the summer.
“This is a sticky mess,” said Judge Townsend. “It will likely go to civil court. I hate that we’re tied up in this.”
Finally members of the court began reviewing the first reading of a new county administrative code. The code will bring the county’s existing code up-to-date, but still needs a little work.
Some of the items discussed were changes to the bereavement leave for employees and a new internet/social media policy aimed at preventing employees from posting derogatory and inflammatory comments about the county, elected officials and co-workers.
The second reading of the new code will be at the next court meeting, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 23, 2013.
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