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Renovations To Cost $52K

WHEELING – A project to renovate two clinic rooms at the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department is expected to cost $52,000 – $12,000 more than anticipated.

The health department recently advertised the project and received no bids from contractors. Not long after, however, representatives from Project Building Efficiency by Striving Together happened to call Administrator Howard Gamble reminding him of their member companies’ services. When Gamble pointed out no one bid on the renovation project, Project BEST rebid it to its members. The lone bidder this time was Walters Construction of Wheeling at $52,000.

The health department had budgeted $40,000 for the renovation, which also included purchase of new cabinets and plumbing work.

“It really is above our cost. We discussed this with the county and the county is considering taking on some of the cost,” Gamble said.

Gamble said part of the additional cost is because the contractor said the old cementboard-style walls need removed. And since the walls may contain asbestos, an abatement procedure must be performed.

“There’s nothing wrong with it … but it has to come down at some point,” he said.

Board member Michael Caruso asked Gamble whether the health department had met all the bidding requirements since no one bid the first time.

“Project BEST put it out to all their members again,” Gamble said. “It was a rebid to all the members of Project BEST.”

Gamble said Walters is willing to work within the health department’s time frame to get it done by July 1.

“They will also work with taking one room out of service at one time, but we still need to function. There is a little more cost with doing one room at a time,” he said.

Gamble said the health department may have to wait to replace the exam tables, which have been in use since 1965.

Board of health members Gloria Delbrugge, Wilkes Kinney, Dr. John Holloway and Michael Caruso unanimously approved the bid. Absent were members Tom Tuttle and Cheryl Wonderly.

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