Musson Brothers to do work for $43,277

BY KEVIN BONESKE

REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Oneida County’s Buildings and Grounds Committee has awarded a bid of $43,277 for Musson Brothers to handle a paving project by the county’s Health Department and Department on Aging building.

The paving project, which includes property the county purchased along Courtney Street where the former Rhinelander Daily News building had been located, calls for paving approximately 2,795 square yards with a 3-inch average of compacted hot mix asphalt.

Much of the Committee’s discussion at Monday meeting centered Musson’s bid not including references which were “requested” in the bid specifications.

“I believe that portion was put in there in case we wanted to check out references,” said committee member Scott Holewinski, who also noted Musson Brothers is known locally as being a reputable company. “It doesn’t say that it must be in there. It says ‘requested,’ otherwise, personally, then I would like to throw the bids all out if it’s going to be an issue…”

County corporation counsel Brian Desmond advised the committee to include a provision in its motion for “waiving any informality,” if it wanted to award Musson’s bid, it the event there would be a legal challenge to the company’s bid for the paving project.

Desmond said county has to award the bids it receives to the “lowest responsible bidder.”

Buildings and grounds facilities director Lu Ann Brunette said the county also received a bid from Northeast Asphalt of $51,030. Though the total project is budgeted for $60,000, Brunette noted a separate vendor would have to do the striping of the parking area once the paving work is completed.

Committee members approved the motion to award the bid to Musson Brothers on a 3-2 vote with Holewinski, Lance Krolczyk and Greg Oettinger voting in favor and Billy Fried and Bob Metropulos being opposed.

Assistant buildings and grounds facilities director Troy Huber said he expects Musson Brothers to begin the paving project sometime this summer with that work to be completed by the end of October.