Upon receiving a proposal for a study of potential building and grounds needs at the Cook County Highway Department, Highway Engineer David Betts asked the county board May 10 for authorization to draft a contract with ORB Management, which had been asked to submit the proposal.
“This doesn’t mean we’re going to start building,” Betts said. He has been trying to figure out how to handle current maintenance needs in light of future improvements that would allow better care of equipment and supplies. Besides having to store files in the men’s restroom, the department does not have coverage for its winter salt/sand stores and needs indoor storage and a ventilated wash bay for its large equipment.
A May 4 memo from Betts to the county board states that for a cost not to exceed $29,500, ORB would analyze the current facilities, study the department’s space needs, help the department come up with a site concept, estimate costs, and offer financing options. The money is available in the county’s Building Fund.
Commissioner Sue Hakes, who is working closely with ORB on the proposed new 1-percent-tax-funded community center project, said that while she is very happy with the work they’re doing for the county now and believes that having ORB as a consultant on all the 1 percent tax projects creates an economy of scale, she thinks they should look at the marketplace and compare prices for this project.
“For $29,000 we could probably put on a new roof or buy materials for a salt shed,” Commissioner Fritz Sobanja said. “I’m kind of mixed on this.”
Engineer Betts pointed out that preparing bids and analyzing proposals would take staff time and cost the county money. Sobanja said that when they were considering a joint maintenance facility with other governmental entities, they were willing to spend some money to study facility needs.
“We don’t want to assume that ORB gets every contract that comes up,” Commissioner Bruce Martinson said. He said he thought the proper thing to do would be to solicit bids. A motion made by Fritz Sobanja and seconded by Jim Johnson authorizing Betts and Scannell to negotiate and draft a contract with ORB did not pass, with Johnson and Sobanja voting aye and Sue Hakes, Jan Hall, and Bruce Martinson voting nay.
A motion to advertise for a consulting firm through an open bid process did pass unanimously. The county could legally have solicited bids by invitation only, and it is not required to accept the lowest bid in this case.
County right-of-way past airport
Whether or not the county should obtain an accurate survey of the Cook County Airport and surrounding property before County Road 8 – which crosses airport property — is resurfaced became a matter of some contention at the meeting. Countycontracted surveyor Wayne Hensche said the airport property has never been properly surveyed. “It’s a jigsaw puzzle full of holes.” He said he believes a survey should be done before the roadwork is done.
With a runway expansion in the works, County Attorney Tim Scannell said he thinks now would be a good time to do title work and get a proper survey of the airport property, but it wouldn’t be necessary before the County Road 8 project is done this summer. Airport Manager Rob Roy said a survey will eventually be required as part of the runway project, which will be funded largely through federal dollars. The airport’s runway project consultant has given the goahead for the county roadwork.
Hensche called the difference of opinion “a gentlemen’s disagreement” and asked to be paid for the time he has spent preparing for the survey over the last three years. He will submit his bill to the Auditor-Treasurer’s Office. The roadwork is proceeding as planned this summer without the survey.
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