Polk County is already looking at higher than expected costs for constructing a new department of social services (DSS) building.

Bids for grading, the first step in the project, came in at $164,890, not including an estimated $80,000 for paving and concrete. The county budgeted $170,000 for both grading and paving, putting the project at possibly $75,000 over budget already.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners reviewed the bids Monday and agreed to approve the low bid, submitted by Thompson Contractors.

They also agreed to ask county engineer Dave Odom, the contractor and the architect to look at options to lower costs, such as moving the building and finding ways to reduce asphalt for parking spaces.

Commissioners Tommy Melton and Warren Watson voted against approving the low bid. They said they wanted to throw out the bids and rebid the project as a whole, with the grading being included in the contract to construct the building.

Commissioners plan to review the issue again at their Aug. 2 meeting and then either award the grading contract or decide to rebid the project.

The low bid was well under the other five bids the county received, with the second lowest coming in at $239,175 and the highest coming in at $262,524.

Commissioner Warren Watson expressed concern over the project being over bid on the first work being done.

So that means were already $80,000 over, Watson said. Thats substantial. That throws a red flag up.

County board chair Cindy Walker said its unfortunate that the first project came in over budget, but hopefully other work will come in under budget as construction sometimes goes.

I dont know that we can logically say because this costs more the whole building will cost more, said Walker.

Melton said Monday he thinks the county will have a better chance coming in on budget if they bid out the whole project in one piece.

Commissioners Walker, vice-chair Ray Gasperson and Rene McDermott voted to approve the low bid and come back in three weeks to see what Odom comes up with.

Im still set on doing something that should have been done 20 years ago and getting our employees out of the Jervey-Palmer building, said vice-chair Gasperson. Its an embarrassment to this county.

Watson agreed with Gasperson, but asked several times, “What is the hurry?”

I would caution this board that you better look out for some change orders because theyre coming, said Watson. I know were trying to fast track this project but why? The bottom line is if we do not plan this out well, were going to end up spending $2.5 million.

Walker said the project is not being done in haste and commissioners have talked extensively about the building.

Gasperson said the grading was done separately to take advantage of prime grading time. He said the county should learn a lesson from problems with grading work at the adult day care center that has pushed that project back considerably.

Melton and Watson have said they think the building as planned is about 1,000 square feet too large. The architectural drawings were approved last month for an 11,950-square-foot building, which will have approximately seven open offices for future growth.

Walker, Gasperson and McDermott say they are planning for future growth. They said they dont want the county to build the building and have it immediately be too small. They mentioned the Womack building, which was already too small for needed county offices as soon as it was completed.

The county recently approved a project budget ordinance for $2 million for the new DSS building that is to be constructed on county owned property at the recreation complex in Mill Spring. Commissioners have said they do not want to spend $2 million on the project and are hoping with the slow economy that the project will come in under projections.

The county expects to finance much of the project, with expectations of borrowing about $1.6 million.