Bid opened for fire suppression system in jail, architect says it’s higher than expected

​YORK – A single bid was received for the project of installing a fire suppression system in the York County Jail and the county’s architect for the project said it came in higher than expected.

​The bid opening took place during this week’s regular meeting of the York County Commissioners.
Present at the bid opening was Steve Severson, architect, who is working with the county on this project.
“We had a meeting with contractors, which was a mandatory part of the bidding process,” explained York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier. “The only company to attend the meeting was Mahoney Fire and Sprinkler out of Omaha. They have experience working in penal systems, in jails. Another contractor missed the meeting. If the board decided to hold up on opening the bid (to give the other contractor an opportunity to submit one), we could. I’m good with moving forward.”
“We want as competitive of a process as possible, but this is a very specialized project which is not common,” Severson said. “This company is reputable and recommended.”
“This is a tough bid for someone as they will have work around inmates and the court schedule,” Obermier added.
It will also require specialized equipment and installation, so it is tamper-proof.
“Yes, they do have to deal with a lot of things that play into it,” Severson added.
“There are good points on both sides, but if we feel it is too high, we can still reject the bid,” said Commissioner Daniel Grotz. “I saw we go ahead and open the bid, as they have done their due diligence.”
The bid came in at $347,700.
“Unfortunately, this is higher than what we were hoping for,” Severson said.
Severson is reviewing all the bid documents and will report back to the commissioners at their next meeting, with a recommendation.
Back when the courthouse – and the jail – were constructed, fire suppression systems weren’t required. So the jail is “grandfathered in” as far as having such a system. However, the county has been informed by the state fire marshal’s office that no expansions or construction projects can take place at the courthouse until this fire suppression system is installed in the jail area.
Also this week, the commissioners went on their quarterly jail tour, meeting with York County Corrections Director Janelle Vice and York County Sheriff Captain Josh Gillespie. Vice said the jail is “still full” regarding being at maximum capacity when it comes to inmate population. She said two female and two male inmates are currently being held elsewhere – two in Hamilton County, one in Butler County and one at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.
Vice said the good news is they are now fully staffed and the goal is to retain the corrections employees. She added how they all recently completed the required CPR refresher course.