County sets guaranteed maximum price for parking-deck stairwell repairs

The County Board of Trustees approved a project on Sept. 11 to repair four stairwells in the county parking deck under the county’s existing contract with PJ Harris, setting a guaranteed maximum price of about $427,000 for the work. The motion to approve the project was moved by Dylan and seconded by Marcy; the motion carried. The work includes reconstruction of two heavily deteriorated, north-facing stairwells, installation of trench drains to redirect vehicle runoff, sandblasting and an epoxy protective coating. County staff and the contractor said the runoff — including winter salt and brine — has accelerated corrosion of steel stair pans. Kyle White, county staff, explained the procurement: “You’ll set a guaranteed maximum price. We know that the project is not going to go beyond that dollar amount,” and PJ Harris will bid subcontract work and manage construction on the county’s behalf. Board members asked whether the trench drain will solve the water issue; staff said the drain and regrading aim to keep salt and runoff out of the stairwells. The two worst stairwells will require extensive reconstruction; staff said sandblasting and epoxy work is budgeted at roughly $50,000 per stairwell, and the total for the four stairwells is about $427,000. The county will pay PJ Harris, which will in turn pay the subcontractors. The board directed staff to proceed with bidding and to return with contract awards as required by county procurement rules. No specific construction start date was given; staff said they hope to finish before the end of the calendar year if possible.