Humboldt General Hospital accepted a bid for the site preparation work necessary for locating a modular medical office building across Haskell Street from the rear of the hospital. That building will need to be in place, up and running, before the medical office building at the corner of Haskell and Minor Streets can be torn down to make way for the expansion of Harmony Manor for a memory care facility.
Only one company bid the project - that bid came in at $691,654, which was within the $700,000 budget projection that had been calculated for the project.
Only one bid was received for the site work, from Hunewill Construction. HGH board member Kevin Chatfield questioned why only one company submitted a bid. "Is there only one company that can provide those services?" he wondered.
Mike Sheppard works for the hospital as an owners' manager for the construction projects. He told the board the likely reason there was only one company that bid was because they were the only local ones able to bid the project competitively, as well as have a sufficient bonding capacity and the ability to complete the work in a compressed time frame.
"Here in this area of Humboldt County, we don't have a range of civil contractors - dirt people - large enough to do a project like this," said Sheppard. He added that over the last five years, Hunewill has been the only local company bidding similar projects, and the only local-area company with a broad range of services including an asphalt plant. An out of area company bidding the project would have to add in travel costs, raising their bid.
Although the hospital doesn't often need site work, Sheppard noted that the city and county have needed such work done and Hunewill has repeatedly been the lone bidder. He noted that companies that don't think their bid will be competitive don't go to the work of preparing a bid.
"The way this company operates, they're not opportunistic; their prices are fair," said Sheppard. "It's within the range we know these things should cost and Hunewill is a first-class company that will do first-class work and they have competitive rates."
"You're very comfortable with these folks?" questioned board member Ed Hopfer.
"Absolutely, positively," Sheppard answered, adding, "This company did the helicopter stop area for us, and made some good suggestions that improved the project."
The $691,654 bid covers site work, utility work, cement work and paving.
Contact Joyce Sheen at j.sheen@winnemuccapublishing.net.
[[In-content Ad]]
