At 10 a.m. Monday, the Bolivar County Board of Supervisors opened four bids for electrical projects at the courthouse.
Two of the bids were for generators, while the other two were for the wiring work that will have to take place to ensure the generators can work at full capacity.
Bolivar County Emergency Management Agency Director Bill Quinton has been attempting to get two new generators for county use.
“We are requesting ... a 150kw generator for the Rosedale courthouse and a 60kw emergency generator to be used throughout the county,” Quinton explained at a meeting last month.
Quinton received one bid for 150kw generator at $36,410 and a 60kw generator at $26,968. The second bid listed the 150kw generator at $35,698 and the 60kw generator at $22,965.
The 150kw generator will match the back-up generator at the Cleveland courthouse location.
“That generator does come in handy,” said County Administrator Will Hooker of the Cleveland courthouse generator purchased two years ago. “It does run the entire courthouse.”
“I motion that we take these bids under advisement,” said Supervisor James McBride.
Supervisor Donny Whitten seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved.
Quinton then received the sealed bid files on the wiring project.
“This is for the changeover to make sure the generators can run the entire courthouse,” said Quinton as he opened the bids.
The first bid listed the project cost at $14,130. The second bid listed the project cost at $15,700.
The board will take these bids under advisement as well.
Some of the supervisors expressed concern over whether the rewiring project would affect any renovations to the courthouse.
“My concern is that we are going to destroy the renovations,” said McBride.
The county officials have been discussing a restoration-style project for quite some time.
Once begun, the goal of the project is to keep the Rosedale courthouse in top form by repairing a nine inch split between the north side of the courthouse and the rest of the building.
“Everything is centrally located in the boiler room,” said Bolivar County Chief Deputy Mike Thompson of the wiring in the Rosedale courthouse. “When you do the renovations, it won’t do anything like (destroying the wiring).”
“You can come in and fix everything,” confirmed Hooker.