Hillcrest board picks contractors for project

Monday, August 29, 2011

MCCOOK, Nebraska -- The Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees moved forward Friday on its $3.2 million upgrade project, at a special meeting Friday.

The project, which was approved by the board in November, will upgrade energy needs and improve/add facilities. It includes renovation in one wing, a new ambulance garage and energy efficient improvements on heating and cooling systems.

Hillcrest was awarded a $250,000 Energy Efficiency Conversion Block Grant in July 2010. The rest of the costs for the proposed project will come from bonding and funds donated and saved, according to Hillcrest Administrator Peggy Rogers.

On Friday, the board unanimously approved the mechanical contractor bid to Charlie's of North Platte, Nebraska, it being the lowest bid at $905,558. Other bids came from Midwestern Mechanical, of Sioux City, Iowa, at $1,041,960 and Snell Services of North Platte, at $1,050,293.

The board also approved other bid packages on Friday, including $88,300 for concrete, miscellaneous and electrical work, to RaDec Construction Co. Inc. of Hartington, Nebraska; $45,900 to RaDec Construction Company, for miscellaneous selective demo, patch and repair work, and $23,700 to Bamford Plumbing of Kearney, for fire sprinklers.

The completion date for electrical and mechanical work is Dec. 31.

RaDec Construction has already been approved by the board as construction manager for the project and Prochaska Professional Services, of Omaha, Nebraska, for architectural services.

Edwin Bottolfsen, RaDec president, recommended Friday that upcoming bids be opened at the RaDec office to prevent confusion. The next bid includes four packages and includes drywall work, windows, painting, etc.

The mechanical and electrical bids were opened at Hillcrest and coordinated by RaDec.

Board member Randy Dean asked if RaDec would submit a bid on this package.

Brian Kerl of Prochaska Professional Services recommended that a bid from RaDec should be sent to Prochaska before other bids were received, "to keep things as transparent as possible," he said. The board agreed to this proposal.

Bids already approved by the board Aug. 12 include electrical work, at $608,500 and for mechanical equipment, at $83,941, both to Snell Services of North Platte.

In other action on Friday, the board also approved unanimously:

* an extended warranty for two boiler units, at $2,937 total, to Huges Machinery of Omaha.

* the bonding agent Smith Hayes, for cost related to the improvement project at Hillcrest

* to accept the $9,000 preliminary estimated cost received from Nebraska Public Power District, to move a transformer related to the energy upgrades

* invoices from Prochaska Professional Services, at $52,843.56 and $17,098.38

* for Prochaska to complete a study on efficiency needs for the kitchen.

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