The Franklin County Commission voted to reject the three bids received for the construction of a new animal control facility at the commission's October 21st meeting.
The commission advertised for bids through October 3rd for construction bids on the facility which will be located behind the Franklin County Jail on Walnut Gate Drive, on land already owned by the county.
Plans for the facility call for 26 indoor kennels and six outdoor kennels in the one-story building. Estimated square footage will be 3,030 square feet.
The bid process requires any bidder to attend a mandatory pre-bid meeting before submitting a bid. The contractors who attended the previous pre-bid meeting will not be required to attend the October 30th pre-bid meeting.
Deadline for bids will be 2 p.m., November 8, 2024.
The low bid received was $789,000. Franklin County Probate Judge Barry Moore said he and commissioners are hopeful to received lower bids this second time around. The facility will be paid for using funds the county received through the American Relief Plan Act, a pandemic-related program that brought millions of dollars to state, county and municipal governments to jump-start the economy in the post-pandemic era.
Issues with stray, abandoned and loose animals, particularly dogs, have plagued Franklin County in recent years. Commissioners have received a steady dose of citizen and animal advocacy group concerns at work sessions regarding this issue.
With the rejection of the bids Monday, a decision on whether to accept the low bid that comes out of the second bid process will fall on the new Franklin County Commission which takes office in November.
In other agenda items at the October 21st meeting, the commission:
--agreed to advertise for a Senior Equipment Technician in the Franklin County Highway Department.
--approved advertising for bids to finance $488,000 to be used to purchase two dump trucks for the Highway Department.
--approved the hiring of Destiny Contreras, Greta Raper and Phillip Harrington as permanent Corrections Officers/Dispatchers in the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.