County staff to solicit proposals for on-site wastewater repairs; staff outlines 2-year contract and installer pool

County staff told the Miami County Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 20 that they plan to solicit proposals for repair work on an on-site wastewater system tied to a grant-funded case.
A staff presenter identified the raised drip mound as the only reliable system type for the site: “The only thing that works good on this one is a raised drip mound,” the presenter said. Staff said a contractor would be kept under a two-year maintenance contract and that “if maintained properly,” an on-site system can last “20, 30 years.”
Staff estimated there are 37 licensed on-site wastewater installers available to receive the solicitation. Of those, about 10 to 15 are likely to be local (in-county) installers, the presenter said, so the solicitation will reach a regional pool but include local firms.
The staff presenter said the grant that made the repairs possible appeared after the case was in codes court and allowed the county to move forward. The presenter asked the board whether to proceed with advertising for proposals; they said they were ready to move forward if the commission approved going out for proposals.
Commissioners asked procedural and scope questions about the project during the study session; the exchange included technical clarifications about the recommended system type and contract term. No formal vote on the solicitation was recorded during the study session; the presenter indicated an action item related to this matter would appear on the afternoon agenda for a formal vote.
Staff also noted that the county had removed certain operating-permit requirements for these systems and that authority over the private system was limited by that change.
The solicitation plan, as discussed, would invite licensed installers to bid on repairs and a two-year maintenance contract to service the repaired system. Staff cautioned that ongoing maintenance by the homeowner and contractor is essential to realize the multi-decade lifespan described.