Facilities given direction to buy new cooktop after wide quote gap

County facilities staff on Aug. 11 presented competing bids to replace a dated cooktop in the courthouse café and received board direction to proceed with the lower-cost option under the small-works procurement threshold.

The facilities manager presented two written estimates: one she described as “completely absurd” for roughly $16,000 and a second she called “pretty reasonable,” with the total difference around $13,000. She and other participants discussed a quote under the small-works threshold for less than $5,000 and said that purchase could be made using a county credit card and a voucher under the correct budget line.

Officials described recurring service problems with the existing unit. The facilities manager said the range has been serviced multiple times over the last year and a half by Mill Creek Mechanical and another contractor; symptoms include burners or oven sections that heat intermittently and will not relight. One meeting participant estimated the appliance was “40 or 50 years old.” Facilities described the replacement as an almost direct replacement and showed photos indicating the new unit would fit under the existing hood and meet code.

On procurement, a participant said the lower quote was “less than 5,000” and therefore fell under the county’s small-works roster threshold, allowing staff to issue a county credit card and process a voucher without a formal bid. At the end of the discussion one participant said, “You have our direction to, to proceed,” after which staff confirmed they would move forward with the purchase.

Action taken: staff were directed to proceed with procurement of the lower-cost cooktop under the small-works threshold and to charge the purchase to the appropriate budget line. The discussion noted that some vendors may need to be on the county small-works roster to perform the installation; staff will confirm roster requirements and vendor eligibility before final purchase.

Next steps: facilities will confirm vendor eligibility for small-works procurement, verify installation needs (gas/propane hookup and regulator checks), and complete the purchase under the identified budget item.