Oct. 19, 2012 — Rowan Fiscal Court will once again advertise for bids on the county's proposed new animal shelter on KY 519.
A committee appointed by the Court is trying to downsize plans in order to keep the cost at or below $250,000.
“It’s still what we think is going to be very functional, it’s just going to be cheaper,” said Magistrate Harry Clark, during last month's fiscal court meeting.
The sole bid for the shelter came in at $287,000 from Owens Construction, Inc. of Morehead. The figure is $37,000 higher than the estimated cost.
The county re-advertised for bids. None of the bids that were submitted were acceptable by the Court’s standards.
Josh Trent, who has an $8,000 contract with the county to design the shelter, had estimated a maximum of $187,000.
“But I think the bottom line, we were at $394,971,” Judge-Executive Jim Nickell said last month. “I mean, we’re talking about a block building; a cheap, block building.”
Nickell appointed Clark, County Attorney Cecil Watkins, Deputy Judge-Executive Jerry Alderman and Subdivision Coordinator Nick Caudill to be on the committee.
Clark reported to Fiscal Court last month that his group recommends cutting square footage down and eliminating unneeded space.
“We’ve asked Josh to go back and give us a new preliminary plan,” he said. “We’re going to send it out to some contractors and see if we’re in the ballpark below $250,000. If we are, we’re going to get Josh to go forward with it and send it on to Frankfort for approval, based on the Court’s authorization.”
Some of the committee’s recommendations include reducing the floor space to approximately 3,100 square feet instead of 4,400. Clark said those numbers are close, but not exact.
“We dropped the ceiling, we changed the trusses to accommodate the heat ducts overhead so that when we cut out the dropped ceilings and change the trusses, we’ll make it work,” he said.
Plans originally included split block all the way around the building. Split face is more decorative than plain concrete block.
“We’ve changed that to just the front,” Clark said.
The committee will update the Court on plans for the shelter at the next monthly meeting. Nickell expects the project to be completed by the first of November.
The court will advertise for bids following the completion of plans.
In other business, the court authorized Nickell to sign the deed and all necessary paperwork to give ownership of the Gateway House homeless shelter back to the shelter.
Members of the court adopted the second reading of an ordinance that directs the closing of a portion of Horsley Road.
The second reading of an ordinance for the county to adopt Mantooth Way was passed.
The Court entered into an agreement with Lewis County to house its inmates at the Rowan County Detention Center for $35 a night.
The court approved payments to be made from the county's litter abatement grant funds to organizations and citizens who are approved by the solid waste coordinator to pick up litter on county roads.
The court will advertise for bids for repairs on Bratton Branch Road.
Nicole Sturgill can be reached at nsturgill@themoreheadnews.com or by telephone at 784-4116.
