The Hardin County Commissioners Court took about 20 minutes to approve a host of agenda items at its June 14 meeting, including awarding a bid for a road project and raising the daily rates for housing juveniles from other counties.
Commissioners approved a $3.3 million bid from MK Constructors for construction on Gore Store Road related to the Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Recovery Infrastructure project. Two other companies bidding on the project were American Parking Control ($3.7 million, 70 days) and Gulf Coast Construction ($3.46 million, 150 days).
Victoria Dai, a project engineer with LJA Engineering Inc., the county’s engineering firm, said the engineers’ estimate on the project was $3.8 million.
“We bided the entire length of the project and had four deductive packages,” Das said. “In all proposed packages, MK came in as the low bidder in all four deductive packages.”
She noted during the bid opening on June 9, MK Constructors did not submit the number of days it would take to complete the project. Dai added she received a letter from MK stating they could complete the project in 130 days.
“We are LJA have worked with them and we have a great relationship,” she said. “We don’t have an issue recommending them.”
Also, Dai said because the project is over budgeted there needs to be a deductive package or two accepted.
“We know the budget was lowered about $2.2 million but there were some funds that could be applied to the project,” she said.
She said with accepting three of the deductive package submitted by MK Constructor the base bid is $2.28 million. The total of the deductive packages is about $911,000.
The project includes about 24,000 linear feet of roadway.
The court approved increasing the daily contract rate for detaining juveniles from other jurisdictions from $120 per day to $155 per day beginning Oct. 1 and leaving a rate of $250 per day for juvenile detainees on suicide watch.
County Judge Wayne McDaniel noted the county’s rate was inlined in what other counties are charging. He recommended the rate go into effect immediately for contracts with new counties. which the court accepted.
“And when we do renewals in January, we renew them at the new rate,” he said.
They also approved outside detention contracts with Ellis and Walker counties.
Commissioners approved to transfer of funds in this year’s budget to increase the maintenance supervisor base pay to $50,000 effective June 13.
In other action, the court approved:
• Judge to sign General Release and Indemnification Agreement with PNC Bank, National Association.
• To appoint Health Insurance Advisory Committee to work with the Human Resource director and Texas Association of Counties to review renewal options for the 2023 plan year and to make a recommendation to the court.
• Audited financial statements for 2021 for Hardin County Emergency Services Districts No. 2, 5 and 6, and the compiled financial statements for 2021 for Village Mills Emergency Services District No. 8.
• Purchase a Kubota tractor and a six-foot brush cutter for Road and Bridge No. 1 for $46,411.