Wanda English Burnett
Editor

County Commissioners awarded the bids for the annex project on Monday, August 8 at their regular meeting.

The General Contractor will be Bruns-Gutzwiller, Inc., of Batesville with a base bid of $4,653,000.00. This bid includes a metal roof rather than shingles.

The Mechanical Contractor will be Koch Mechanical Inc. of North Vernon with a bid of $1,152,600.00.

Glenwood Electric, Inc. of Walton, KY, was awarded the electrical contract with a base bid of $792,888.00.

Dalmatian Fire, Inc., Mason, OH, was awarded the Fire Protection Contract with a base bid of $101,400.00.

And, finally, Temperature Controls went to Open Controls Systems of Indianapolis for $200,787.00.

The recommendation for the bids came from LWC, Inc. A letter presented at the August 8 meeting read in part, “We have reviewed the bids for requirements and have conducted post-bid interviews with each of the contractors...everything appears to be in order and it is our recommendation to enter into contracts for construction with the low bid contractors.”

Commissioner Mark Busching made the motion to accept the bids with Gary Stutler giving the second. Robert Reiners voted in agreement with the other two commissioners for a unanimous vote on the bid project for the annex building project in Versailles.

Auditor Bill Wagner noted that the fiscal responsibility of previous and present local government officials have made it possible for the project to be built without raising property taxes for home and business owners in Ripley County.

For the past few years office holders have held tight budgets, kept their operating expenses low and have only taken a small percentage raise. “It’s about balancing the budget,” noted Wagner.

Plans and drawings of the project in its entirety can be viewed on the first floor of the courthouse in the lobby. The plans could change somewhat throughout the project contingent on variables as they proceed, but they are pretty true to what the end result will be, according to Auditor Bill Wagner.

A ground breaking ceremony will take place August 22 at 10:00 a.m. at the annex site located on the north side of the courthouse on the square in Versailles. The projected date for the completion of the project is mid August, 2012.