The Carroll County Board of Supervisors rejected a three-quarter-million-dollar bid this morning (Monday) for tree removal within Carroll County’s Drain 77. County officials put the project out to bid earlier this fall to remove trees causing drainage issues in the creek that drains the northeastern portions of Carroll. According to County Engineer Zac Andersen, the county received only one bid for the project from Leroy and Sons out of Arcadia for $750,000. The board quickly agreed that they would not move forward with the bid. Andersen explains why the offer was higher than initially projected.
Drain 77 covers more than six square miles of land, including farmland north of Carroll proper and about half of town to the north and east. The bulk of the work is along the creek that runs south of the Fairview Village Apartments and behind the homes on the west side of Grant Road, down to 12th Street. District 1 Supervisor Scott Johnson suggests splitting the project up to make it more manageable for potential bidders.
District 3 Supervisor Gene Meiners proposed contracting with Iowa Prison Industries to complete the work, which could be a substantial cost savings.
The supervisor clarified that this is not a “beautification project.” Rather, it is to remove trees along the creek that are negatively impacting water flow in the drainage district. The supervisors will continue to solicit quotes from contractors until a suitable contractor is found.
