Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 115, No. 5	January 30, 2008

Indiana firm earns fire station bid award

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

An Indiana firm was awarded an undisclosed bid amount for architectural, engineering, construction and management services for a “turnkey” fire station in Brandenburg.

On Jan. 21 members of the Meade County Fire Protection District Holdings Corporation, LLC, who also double as the fire protection district board, unanimously awarded the bid to Koetter, a Floyds Knobs, Ind.

Following the award, fire district board chairman Martin Bosemer said, the holdings corporation will meet with Koetter to narrow their selected bid further.

The firm was one of eight vying and the only one out-of-state. D&M Popham Enterprises, LLC. of Rhodelia, also submitted a bid.

Popham representative Matt Popham asked why his firm wasn’t considered.

“It was a matter of cost and the life expectancy,” Bosemer said. “It was a matter of how much we were getting for our bid. We (the site selection committee) were counting sinks, locks and doors and going through the math as was requested in the request for proposals.”

Bosemer said the committee was detailed in their findings and the final decision came down to a matter of cost.

“The final decision was how much you paid per square foot and what you got for it,” Bosemer said.

Other bidders revealed:

The other seven firms seeking an opportunity to build the county fire station included:

• Architect Brandsetter Carrol Inc. of Louisville with construction firm Bornstein Building Co. Inc., also of Louisville.

• Architect Cox Allen and Associates of Louisville with construction firm NETT Construction Company, LLC of Elizabethtown.

• Architect LHB Architects of Elizabethtown and construction firm D&M Popham Enterprises, LLC of Rhodelia.

• Architect Berry-Prindle of Louisville with construction firm Jenkins-Essex Construction Inc. of Elizabethtown.

• Architect Keyes Architects and Associates of Louisville with construction firm Lloyd Bilyeu Construction Company Inc., also of Louisville.

• Architect Luckett and Associates Architects and Engineers from Louisville with construction firm Lusk Group of Vine Grove.

• Architect LHB Architects of Elizabethtown and construction firm McNutt Construction Co., also of Elizabethtown.

County Attorney Margaret Matney also praised committee members, adding she was kept apprised of the process by Bosemer.

“I have spoken with Mr. Bosemer on multiple occasions on this process and he has kept me apprised of the entire process,” Matney said.

“So you legally think all of the bidders were treated fairly,” fire district board treasurer James Anthony asked.

“Yes,” Matney answered.

Bosemer also praised committee members, adding they did a good job matching up the process “apple to apple.”

“All board members were briefed individually on the proposals and had the opportunity to ask follow-up questions,” he said.

Following the meeting, Bosemer said several local vendors would be used by Koetter, but didn’t specify what, if any, other fire stations the firm built.

In a later conversation, Bosemer said the firm constructed stations in Lafayette, New Ramsey and Clarksville, Ind., and in Fern Creek, Eastwood and Jeffersontown, Ky.,

He said Koetter was responsible for additions at several area churches. A review of their Web site also indicated they were responsible for several commercial buildings in Indiana.

“They have given us a timeline and they have said they will be able to meet their timeline,” Bosemer said.

The building will be composed of block and metal, Bosemer said .

During earlier meetings, it was reported the bids ranged in price from $1.2 to $1.6 million, with none of the bidders going over the higher threshold.

Each firm supplied a list of five buildings, Bosemer said. The committee reviewed those and sought others the firms completed, which weren’t included on the list.

“All firms had excellent bids,” Bosemer said. “We were blessed to have eight good firms from which to select. There was not any package which was bad.”

Bosemer explained a rating schematic was used, which took into account comparison funding, facility, equipping, functionality, operations and maintenance, life cycle, management capability, adherence to the proposed timeline and use of county businesses.

Each firm was scored individually by the committee and their overall rankings were tabulated. Of the eight bidders, only one exceeded the standard, while two were close to doing so.

Two firms were rated not acceptable, two firms met the standards and one firm was below standard.

Due to the spreadsheet’s numerical system, it could not be ascertained which firm was awarded the bid, and when members accepted the committee’s recommendation, the winning bidder was referred to by Bosemer as “bidder N.”

Board members and the media were provided a list of the eight architects and their construction firms vying for the project.

“These were very good bids,” Bosemer reiterated. “It was a good apple-to-apple comparison.”

During the meeting and following the award, Bosemer announced all bids, including Koetter’s, would be sealed.

“We do not intend to release any of the information,” he said.

In related matters, members transferred $50,000 from district funds to the new holding corporation, retained the same building committee and received the land for the proposed building.

“The purpose of all of this is to meet the Kentucky laws in order to build a building,” Bosemer said.

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