Jasper County solidifies its concrete replacement contractor for bunkers

Supervisors this past week opened bids for the concrete replacement project for the south side corners of the Jasper County Courthouse, awarding it to a Colfax contractor. The work would also remove the existing planters, or bunkers, that have since been demolished from the north side of the property earlier this year.

In total, five sealed bids were obtained by the county and opened on May 20. Maintenance Director Adam Sparks said in order for contractors to bid on the project, they needed to be licensed, bonded and insured. He also noted the costs would be lower on the south side since drain work did not need to be conducted.

MidState Solution, LLC, of Colfax was awarded the project with its $18,157 bid. Other bids include $17,000 from Jordison Construction, Inc., $23,842.50 from Central Iowa Excavation, $24,200 from Jeff Seals Construction and $34,265 from Jasper Construction. The board budgeted $30,000 for the project.

Even though the lowest bid came from Jordison Construction of Urbandale, the board of supervisors were in agreement that a local contractor would be a better choice, especially since MidState Solution’s bid was only $1,000 higher. Sparks hasn’t personally worked with the contractor but he has seen them work in town.

Sparks said the concrete replacement project completely removes the remaining four bunkers on the south side and changes the approach openings to match the new openings on the north side. The approaches are wide open and handicap accessible. The project also replaces damaged concrete around the bunkers.

In June 2024, the board of supervisors approved the concrete replacement on the north side of the square.

Contractors were able to mobilize to the site this spring and finish the job, removing the bunkers in the process. Removing the bunkers caused a fair amount of controversy online, with many people arguing against their removal. Still, residents did not show up to supervisors in person to air their frustrations.

The bunkers were installed several decades ago by a group that no longer exists. Since then the concrete around the bunkers have crumbled and made snow removal difficult for maintenance crews. Posing a safety risk, it was determined by the county to remove them and the attached flagpoles entirely.