Commission approves bid for removal of office building

MOUND CITY – On Monday, May 5, the Linn County Commissioner’s approved a bid of $19,500 from JRK Portable Welding over a bid of $12,650 from Marbery Excavating and Hauling to demolish and remove the old county district attorney building on the southwest corner of the courthouse square at 326 Chestnut, Mound City.

The approval came from the recommendation of interim Public Works Director Jesse Walton who had looked over and compared the bids. 

Walton said, “I just think it’s better if we have a contract do it all start to finish and leave my guys out working where they need to be.”

Walton explained that JRK was going to take care of everything from start to finish removing the debris and hauling the dirt in.

The Marbery bid was not as specific as the JRK bid with added notes that Linn County was to provide the material to fill the foundation void with Marbery loading and hauling it.

Marbery specified that they would provide the topsoil for the final grade but would not seed the area.

The JRK bid was more specific showing the tearing down of the structure at $8,500;  

utilities removal (terminating and capping) to county requirements, $1,500; black dirt to fill in the foundation hole and get property to drain water and be able to be mowed after demo, $7,000; final smoothing of new black dirt and reseeding with a grass seed, $2,000; and safety fence installation and removal around project with any barricades and signage, $500.

Commission Chair Jim Johnson pointed out again that JRK’s bid was from start to finish.

Walton said that the only thing he would be involved in would be making sure the gas line gets cut off and the power gets cut off.

Commissioner Jason Hightower asked if the county was waiving the dumping fees.

“I think that was on there, wasn’t it?” stated Johnson.

Hightower asked if that could be added into the motion and Hamilton changed her motion.

The waiving of dump fees was not on the bid nor was it mentioned in the meeting earlier. There was no indication if that would change the bid amount for either company.