County approves $225,803 design contract for Chadwick Bridge under federal lands grant

County highway staff told the commission that the Chadwick Bridge project qualified for the Federal Lands Access Program because the bridge lies within Mark Twain National Forest and that the award is routed through the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

"That exact grant is a 100% reimbursable grant," the highway staff member said, describing a design and permitting contract with Wilson & Company for $225,803.60 to take the project from surveying through contractor procurement.

Staff explained the county ranked five firms in a competitive RFQ process and reached scope and fee agreements that meet MoDOT review and profit-cap limits. Commissioners discussed longer design timelines on modern infrastructure projects and noted that, without the grant, the county likely would have had to fund the project locally and delay work.

A commissioner asked whether lack of eligibility for other state programs affected the project; staff said Chadwick was not poor enough for some state bridge lists but qualified under the federal lands program due to its location. The commission approved the Wilson & Company contract by motion, second and aye votes.

The approval authorizes county staff to proceed with design and permitting under the terms described; the presentation emphasized that the award is reimbursement-eligible and therefore minimizes immediate local capital outlay.