Stewart County commissioners approve Oxford Construction repair to complete grant match; EMS center dirt work estimated at $360,000

Stewart County commissioners on May 14 approved a contract action to have Oxford Construction repair a stretch of Brinson Hill Road so the county can complete a required match for a larger Omaha project. The motion, made by Commissioner Joe Lee Williams and seconded by Chairman Joseph B. Williams, passed with three votes in favor and one opposed; Vice-Chair Arcola Scott recorded the lone dissent.

The vote followed a report from Joe Vail of CMS on the county’s EMS Center needs. Vail said that if dirt removal and replacement are contracted out for remediation at the EMS facility, the estimated cost would be $360,000. Commissioners did not adopt a separate contract for that work during the meeting; Vail’s figure was presented as an estimate for decision-making and budgeting.

Vail also opened bids for the Hospital Road Resurfacing and Maintenance project. The three bids submitted and reported to the commission were: Oxford Construction Company — $1,558,451.56; Robinson Paving Co. — $1,720,907.00; and Wolford Contracting Company — $3,503,966.00. Commissioners did not announce an award for the Hospital Road project at the meeting; the bids were recorded and opened on the public record.

Commissioner Joe Lee Williams’ motion to engage Oxford Construction for the Brinson Hill Road work was moved with the stated purpose of finishing the required match for the Omaha project. The motion was seconded by Chairman Joseph B. Williams and carried on a 3–1 vote: yes — Chairman Joseph B. Williams, Commissioner Joe Lee Williams, Commissioner Thomas Mayo; no — Vice-Chair Arcola Scott.

Also during the meeting commissioners agreed to place a Coke vending machine on the first floor of the courthouse; the minutes record agreement but do not include a formal recorded roll-call tally for that item.

The commission did not take final action to contract the EMS dirt work at this meeting; staff and managers will be expected to return with contract recommendations, cost confirmations and any necessary procurement documentation before funds are committed.