Warrick County drainage board tables ditch-cleaning bids after RFP lacks distance specification

The Warrick County Drainage Board on Feb. 23, 2026, opened two bids for silt and debris removal on the Howard Williams and Weisenheimer ditches but unanimously voted to table the proposals after finding the request for proposals did not specify the linear distance or landmarks for the work.

Sherry Severs, identified in the record as a county acquisition staff member, opened the bids and confirmed the first packet — from Westfield Excavating — contained a proposal of $10,450 and a certificate of insurance. A second timely bid from Beaver (Beaver Lawn Care and Excavation) dated Feb. 20 quoted $8,120 and also included insurance documentation and standard affidavits, but neither packet defined the footage or clear start/stop landmarks for the scope of work.

Unidentified Speaker 4 raised concerns that without an explicit distance or monumented points "contracts have to be specific" so a court or county could later determine whether a contractor completed the contracted work. The speaker warned that an RFP that lacks a definable scope leaves the county unable to enforce performance or reject incomplete work.

The county surveyor (Unidentified Speaker 3) acknowledged responsibility for the omission, saying, "the buck stops with me," and told the board future solicitations would include either monuments/landmarks or footage. The surveyor said he would coordinate immediately with Matthew and provide the necessary measurements so the RFP could be reissued or rebid.

The board voted to table the proposals and directed Sherry Severs to resubmit the RFP to all invited contractors with a defined project length or landmarks. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Board members also noted one of the invited contractors, Harley Westerfield, did not submit required forms and would be considered nonresponsive under the county's procurement rules.

Next steps: the surveyor will define the footage (or monuments) for the project and staff will reissue the solicitation; the board will revisit responsive bids at a later meeting once the scope is clarified.