Lake County approves $931,117.69 purchase for 2026 chip-seal materials

The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to award asphalt emulsion materials and application services for the 2026 chip-seal program to Western Emulsion for $931,117.69 and authorized the public works director to sign the purchase order.

Lars Ewing, Lake County public works director, told the board the department issued a request for proposals in April and received one responsive bid from Western Emulsion. Ewing gave the bid prices: $665 per ton for liquid asphalt emulsion and $445 per ton for fog seal. He said the department expects the 2026 work to cover about 30 miles of road, primarily in North Lakeport and the Neese area, and that aggregate for the chip-seal work was procured on a companion consent item.

Supervisor Owen asked whether per-ton prices had jumped; Ewing replied that he did not have last year’s per-ton figures in front of him but that the emulsion prices appeared “in line” and noted oil-based materials can fluctuate. Supervisor Sabatier noted aggregate pricing moved from about $33.50 to $35.50 per ton on the aggregate side, which Ewing said is a separate commodity issue.

With no public comment, a supervisor moved to approve the award and authorize signature of the purchase order; the motion was seconded and the board approved the contract 4-0.