CLEWISTON — Road paving plans were on the agenda for the March 10 meeting of the Hendry County Board of County Commissioners, held in the City Commission chambers in Clewiston.

The first item on the agenda were bids. Bid ITB #2020-09 Miscellaneous Paving at Various Locations in Hendry County: Sealed bids were received for miscellaneous paving at various locations in Henry County. Six bids were received from Ajax Paving Industries of Florida Inc., OHL Community Asphalt Corp., C.W. Roberts, Pavement Maintenance, Preferred Materials and Thompkins Contracting. The bids received range from $514,000 to $952,894.25. Community Asphalt Corp. was the lowest responsive bidder in the amount of $514,000.

The roads that will be paved are the ones that were in the worst condition and one for which funding from the Florida Department of Transportation was not being pursued. These include Forestry Division Road, Huggetts Road, Carlisle Street, the intersection of Elm Street and Cowboy Way, a segment of A Road, the EMS station on Forestry Division Road, Jack’s Branch asphalt repair, County Road 78 Branch asphalt repair, a segment of Hendry Isles Boulevard repairs, Hendry Isles Boulevard dip area repairs, Hendry Isles burn spot repair, CR832/Keri Road repairs, Sassy Road, Tammy Road, Melissa Road, Richmond Avenue and Midstate Loop. Asphalt repairs are required at the EMS station due to the settlement of the old landfill beneath.

The funding for this paving was budgeted in the county’s road and bridge budget, not the loan that the county has sought for other projects. The EMS station on Fourth Street Division Road will be paid for from the EMS budget. The Hendry Isles burn spot is an insurance claim. A motion to approve choosing Community Asphalt Corp., the lowest responsive bidder, carried 4-0.

The next bid on the agenda was RFQ #2020-06 Recommendation for Design and Permitting for Sidewalks in the Harlem Community: The ranking of the selection committee, comprised of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Operations Manager John Anderson, Hendry County Public Works Director Shane Parker, and City of LaBelle Finance Director Ron Zimmerly, for the design and permitting for sidewalks, in the Harlem community. Four submittals were received from DRMO, McMahon Associates Inc., BES Inc., and Connelly & Wicker Inc. Each firm made a 15-minute presentation, the staff had 10 minutes to ask questions, after which the committee ranked BES Inc. as the number one firm. The fiscal impact of this project is unknown, as staff plans to negotiate a contract that will be brought back to the BOCC for approval. The project is being funded by FDOT. A motion to approve choosing BES Inc. carried 4-0.

County Administrator Jennifer Davis spoke briefly about the Clewiston Library and the current goings-on with the Library Advisory Committee, and the need to move forward to negotiate and establish an agreement with Glades and Okeechobee counties, for what she feels will be for the betterment of the library system. There are three libraries in Hendry County, and one each in Glades and Okeechobee. There is approximately an additional $322,000 that would be able to be contributed to the project as a whole, shared equally between the three counties, if the agreement to form a new cooperative and board could be reached.

Shane Parker, public works director, spoke regarding the vehicle title transfer from Good Wheels to the Hendry/Glades Transportation Disadvantaged Committee and the need to purchase more vehicles.

The next regular BOCC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, at 5 p.m. in LaBelle. Persons wishing to request public records from Hendry County should submit their request to Emily Hunter.