A mix of surprise and elation enveloped Allen County commissioners Tuesday morning when bids for demolition of the old Allen County Hospital were opened. IN OTHER BUSINESS, commissioners:
The lowest of seven was $198,810, made by Remco, a Kansas City, Mo., demolition contractor. Of the six others, four ranged no higher than $260,000. The highest, out of character with others, was for $1.348 million.
Commissioners will decide next Tuesday whether to accept Remco’s bid, after County Counselor Alan Weber has had time to check references and other particulars.
Two factors likely had a role in the bid being as low as it was: Refuse will be accepted at the county landfill without charge and the contractor will have salvage rights. Concrete will be kept separate at the landfill and much of it may be crushed and used to stabilize small streams along county roads and for similar purposes.
Salvage was seen by contractors as significant during a tour of the structure. If salvageable materials had been sold at auction, as first proposed, removal might have resulted in asbestos contamination that the contractor would have had to remediate before demolition.
Also, demolition will entail removal of only the building and adjacent concrete and asphalt parking lots. Filling the hole left by removing concrete walls and flooring of the hospital’s basement will be left to a local contractor, with bidding to occur later. Weber pointed out bringing the site to grade would be decided after the county signed a contract with G&W Foods to build a grocery on the site, and its engineers became part of the process.
An auction of personal property — chairs, shelving, computers and such things — will start at 10 a.m. July 22 at the hospital.
In run-up to Tuesday’s bid opening, commissioners have talked in terms of demolition starting about Sept. 1 with anticipation of it taking about three months to complete. That would fit a loosely defined start of construction by G&W early in 2016.
While a G&W grocery won’t be a done deal until a contract is signed with the county, the company has issued a letter of intent to build on the site. Also, there is ample space for several apartment buildings. At least two contractors have expressed interest in building housing there.
In the months ahead, a determination will be made on how access to a grocery and apartments will best be designed, although a commitment not yet is on the table for a traffic study.
— Heard briefly from department heads about their budgets ahead of completion of the county’s spending plan for 2016. Those requesting minimal increases had to do with personnel because of increased duties arising from changes in state laws affecting county government.
— Learned from Terry Call 1,014 ambulance runs had occurred through June 30. Total billings have been $780,698.60, with $334,890.95 collected, $280,353.51 written off and $163,066.80 due. Receipts for the first six months totaled $433,190.60, including payments from bills sent prior to Jan. 1.
The county guarantees Iola $1 million in support of the countywide ambulance service through its fire department. Call projects income for the year at $900,000, which would leave $100,000 to come from the county’s ambulance fund. The fund contains about $727,000 today, with Call’s salary as billing clerk and the county’s obligation occasionally to purchase new ambulances obligations of the fund.
— Approved courthouse expenditures of $4,380 (the lower of two bids) for sidewalk repairs by Lickteig Construction, Garnett; $5,200 for handicap handrails along ramps on the south side of the courthouse and $1,270 for a railing on steps on the south side, with Rebel Works, 502 N. State, being the only bidder.
ACH demo bids surprisingly low
