The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors carved a project into 19 pieces Monday in the interest of staying within budget.
The board unanimously approved engineering consultant Jerry Smith”s proposal to split a renovation project into 19 separate contracts which will be distributed among three companies. The projects include new air conditioners, efficient light fixtures, programmable thermostats and other energy-saving changes to six county businesses.
On June 17, when bids came in above the $158,000 in federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds awarded for renovations, the board turned to Smith to find a way to make the work fit the budget. Smith proposed making each renovation a separate contract and removing the least necessary item; which, in this case, was motion sensitive light switches. With $8,000 eliminated, the project fit the budget.
The bulk of the work will go to The Service Company of Meridian, which was awarded $113,000 worth of contracts. Woodall Electric, also of Meridian, will receive just over $8,000 worth of contracts. And McClain Plumbing, of Philadelphia, will receive a $36,000 contract to install central air conditioning at the justice court building.
“Each one is an expert in a certain area,” Smith said of the bidding contractors. “One will concentrate on air conditioning, one on lighting retrofits and another one is an air conditioning specialist that came in low on one particular bid.”
The renovations will be spread among six county buildings. Smith said some of the 70 motion-sensitive light fixtures cut from the initial contracts may be installed after all if some anticipated savings come to fruition.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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