The Bartholomew County Commissioners have extended a deadline to find a contractor to put in new sanitary sewer service, electrical pedestals and water upgrades at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds.
For more than 30 years, local officials have been trying to find a way to financially get the project off the ground for those wishing to camp out at the fairgrounds south of Garden City. County spreadsheets show $500,000 of the federal American Rescue Plan money has now been earmarked for the project.
Local engineering and consulting firm Strand and Associates was hired in December to provide general engineering services, and worked with fair board president Rick Trimpe on planned development and technical specifications for the next few months. Strand’s contract was capped at a maximum $84,000.
While bids were advertised twice in February, county officials were surprised when no contractor submitted a proposal by the March 7 deadline.
In talking with companies who had picked up drawings and other information on the project, Strand engineer Steve Ruble found most are still dealing with labor and material issues, he told the Bartholomew County Commissioners Monday. For that reason, no company was willing to take the job because it required completion of a significant part of the project before the fair begins June 24, Ruble said.
But if the project is re-advertised and crews are given a larger time frame to complete the work, Ruble expressed confidence the county would receive multiple bids on the project, he told the commissioners. Work will not begin until after the nine-day fair concludes on July 2, he said.
At first, Ruble recommended that the Phase One construction period be extended to the end of November. But county Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz says he was willing to extend it to April 1, 2023 in order to attract more bidders.
“Contractors are so busy, but we really don’t care about a completion date – so long as its completed by fair time next year,” Kleinhenz said. “It’s a good winter project because there’s no traffic and no people.”
However, the completion date was moved up to March 1, 2023 upon Trimpe’s request in order to give adequate time for grass to regrow in the construction area.
The second opening of the bids is now scheduled for May 2 of this year.
