Board awards contract to replace town wayfinding signs; project funded from prior capital allocations

The Matthews Board of Commissioners authorized a contract to replace and refurbish the town’s wayfinding signs at the Jan. 26 meeting.

Communications Director Maureen Ryan said staff issued a request for bids for replacement of 44 sign panels (and refurbishment of posts) and that five proposals were received. After evaluating responses staff recommended ACSM; the bid price cited in the packet was $192,000 with a recommended 10% contingency for a not‑to‑exceed authorization of approximately $211,664. Funding for the project was drawn from prior fiscal‑year capital allocations and no budget amendment was required.

Commissioners asked about expected life span for the sign panels; staff said the vendor’s UV‑protected laminate offers up to nine years of color preservation and that a maintenance program (including cleaning and repainting posts) will be implemented to extend life. Several commissioners asked staff to explore sacrificial protective coatings or a replacement cycle to smooth long‑term lifecycle costs.

The board moved and unanimously approved authorization for the town manager to execute the ACSM contract with the recommended contingency.