Bids to repair courthouse roof from $10,000 to nearly $600,000

The Linn County Commission has struggled to get bids on repairing its slate roof, which is some places is very steep. At a bid opening earlier this month, the bids varied by as much as $572,000. (Journal file photo)

By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – Earlier this month, bids for repairing the courthouse roof were opened by the Linn County Commissioners. At face value, the bids ranged from just over $582,000 to $10,000.

The commissioners read off the following bids June 9:

• DHI Roofing, Lee’s Summit, Mo., $582,102

• Stanfield Roofing, Eldorado, Kan., $35,249 for repairing

• World Premier KC Building Services, wrote that the only commitment the county would have is their $10,000 deductible.

This was not the first RFP to be published for repairing the roof. The first RFP was in September 2024 and no bids were received. In January 2025, Commissioner Jim Johnson said he would go to Miami County for a roof referral.

On March 31, former Public Works Director Shaun West reported to the commissioners that the RFP when published again had not received any bids. He asked the commissioners if they would like him to contact the company that the insurance agent had recommended. Instead, they instructed West to reopen the RFP and inform all contractors. This new RFP was set up to close on April 18 and be reviewed on April 21. 

At the April 14 meeting, the commissioners decided to update Interim Public Works Director Jesse Walton about insurance information and to direct him to reach out to potential bidders and reopen the RFP for the courthouse repairs.

On May 27, the commissioners at Walton’s request decided to hold off on opening the two bids received for the courthouse roof for another week after hearing from Walton that he had just talked to another individual who also was interested in placing a bid on the project. Walton requested the delay so that the other person could get a bid in. The commissioners questioned whether there had been a deadline in the present RFP and also whether the RFP had been published in the paper. Walton said he thought it had.

The commissioners learned at the June 2 meeting, that all the bids had been received and would be presented for opening on June 9.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Learned from County Clerk Danielle Souza that she had received an invoice from Stacy Railroad Management Co. requesting the county’s yearly payment. Souza said she checked and this has been paid for a numerous number of years for an 8-inch water pipeline crossing for numerous years. When she called the company, they said it was an annual license with the commissioners from the 1980s right-of-way license for an 8-inch water line for $417 and $300 for a gas line. 

• Heard from Economic Development Director Chasity Ware that it was hard for her to get a handle on her budget when new things kept coming out of it. Souza said that some of the items like the recently received invoice from the railroad management company could just be put under a general fund line item.

• Heard from Commissioner Jim Johnson that he talked with a company burying fiber optic lines near Blue Mound who said that they were heading toward Sugar Valley Lakes. Discussion was held that the county had not received any burial permit requests for this.

• Went into an executive session with the two commissioners, Ware and counselor to discuss proprietary information.

• Learned from Walton that the Centerville compactor had been down and then up and running but now it is down again. Walton said that it had both electrical and hydraulic issues.

• Approved a burial permit for a water line for Hettinger Excavating going past Stainbrook’s to Linn Valley. 

• Went into executive session for 15 minutes with the county clerk, two commissioners, and county counselor for contract negotiations. 

• Were reminded about a fence viewing next week by Souza. It will be a 1 p.m. Souza said she sent certified letters to both parties to meet at Charlie Self’s property.