Stephens Co. BOE Still Considering Grounds Contract

The Stephens County school system will meet again next week to determine who to award the bid for grounds maintenance and lawn care on school system properties to.

That is after the Board of Education voted Tuesday to allow a second bid that had been disqualified back in.

Thursday, school system staff had told the board that one of the two bids the system received for grounds work and lawn care was disqualified because the bid packet was incomplete, as it was missing an equipment list.

Board of Education Chair Tony Crunkleton said he does not feel that is enough to disqualify that bid from consideration.

“I consider him being rejected because he did not list his equipment a technicality,” said Crunkleton.

The request for proposals given to potential bidders does include a clause that states the Board of Education is allowed to waive technicalities.

Crunkleton said he feels the benefit to the school system is having two competitive bids, rather than awarding the whole contract to one company just by default.

“One is low bid on five sites and one is low bid on the other five,” said Crunkleton. “It looks like we could save some money by splitting it up.”

The Stephens County Board of Education voted 3 to 2 to approve Crunkleton’s motion to waive the technicalities and allow the second bid to be considered.

Crunkleton, Jim Bellamy, and Jim Ledford all voted for the motion, while David Fricks and Wendy Dawkins voted against the motion. Board member Rod Moore was absent.

The Stephens County Board of Education will now meet at 7:30 a.m. next Wednesday, May 25, in a called meeting to consider the bids further.