ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Seward County commissioners recently approved a design change directive from the architect firm helping with getting new bleachers at the rodeo arena at the fairgrounds.
Administrator April Warden said she had previously approved the change, and the item was placed on the commission’s June 3 agenda for formal action.
“After our work session on the bleachers, we decided to go back and get a certified architect engineering and ask GMCN (Architects) to prepare the specifications and drawings to bid the new bleachers for the rodeo arena,” she said. “This also included construction site visits as well. It’s $2,240 for their services and $520 for their construction site visits.”
Warden said bleacher bids have been put out, and the county is scheduled to have bids back by June 27.
Commission Vice Chair Tammy Sutherland-Abbott asked for a total amount spent thus far on the bleacher project. Warden said she was unsure of that number.
“When you wanted to move it to the grandstands, we did pay for all the topographical survey, dirt work and put out original bids for that to find out how much that was going to be,” Warden said. “Roughly, I believe there’s been $20,000 to $25,000 spent on those plans. I can get you an official number. I don’t have that information with me to give you a set number on that.”
The commission voted unanimously to approve the design change from GMCN for the bleacher specs.
Also at the June 3 meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to rescind a previous bid on bleachers. That item was put on the agenda after the commission, at its April 15 meeting, received two bids based on original plans drawn up that later were found out to not be ADA compliant.
“After your Planning and Zoning board had looked at them, they needed more information not only on ADA, but a site plan, where we were going to put parking, handicapped sidewalks,” Warden said.
Warden said much was missing from the original bid proposal, and this is why GMCN was asked to come back with a new design.
“You had made a motion on April 15 that said to accept the amended bid in the amount of $299,578, to waive the purchasing policy and make a revision to the payment term to 50 percent up front, 30 percent substation completion and 20 percent final,” she said. “That motion did pass 5-0. I’m asking you this evening to rescind that motion.”
Warden said new bids will now be taken based on new information in specs.
“You never did sign a contract with the other company on the bleacher bids, and we are reaching back out to both of those companies that bid orignally to give them the opportunity to bid this now with all of the drawings as to what they would need to include in their bid,” she said.
