HERMANN — A Montgomery City electrical contractor will be rewiring the Gasconade County courthouse with low-voltage lines in an effort to improve county government’s telephone system — a new network that has been plagued with glitches from the time it was installed after the first of the year.

Higgins Electric last week was awarded the $95,000 contract to install new wiring and remove the jumble of existing wiring under the first floor of the historical structure — some of which is believed to have been installed about a century ago.

The only other contractor interested in bidding on the project, American Electrical Data Incorporated (AEDI), submitted a bid about $40,000 lower than Higgins. However, as county officials pointed out, AEDI’s bid did not include removal of the old wiring, which was clearly spelled out in the bid specifications sent to companies interested in doing the work.

Dan Mercer of AQM of Washington, the county’s information technology consultant, at last week’s session recommended the County Commission award the project to AEDI. Mercer said he was familiar with that company from the time they spent together working to install electrical wiring for the courthouse elevator.

But as Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, told Mercer, “They did not follow the bid documents” regarding the inclusion of removing the old wiring as part of its bid.

Mercer said he thought the project was to be separated into two parts — installing the new wiring and then removing the old wiring — with the two parts being bid separately. A reading of the bid specifications by County Clerk Lesa Lietzow cleared up any confusion as to how the project was to be bid.

Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville, said it’s unfortunate that AEDI couldn’t be considered for the project because it didn’t submit a complete bid. But, he added, “if it doesn’t meet bid specifications…” it can’t be considered.

“I think we only have one legitimate bid,” Lairmore said, proposing to award the contract to Higgins. The Commission agreed unanimously.

Meanwhile, the elevator project is finished and all that has to be done now is receive the final sign-off by the state.

“We’re waiting on the Department of Public Safety to inspect it,” said Schulte. The elevator, located just inside the main entrance on the south side of the courthouse, connects the Emergency Operations Center in the basement with the lobby area of the second floor which contains the large courtroom.

A budget update

Lietzow, the county’s chief budget officer, reported that the operating budget remains strong at the midway point of the year. “I don’t see any problems anywhere,” she told the Commission.

Record General Fund Sales Tax revenue last year — coupled with a much-better-than-expected performance by the Use Tax — put county government in its best position to begin a new year than it had been in for a long time. County officials were able to do some things they were unable to do in previous years because of limited funds.

Another strong showing by the county’s sales taxes is making more projects possible next year. The most recent sales tax revenue report by County Treasurer Mike Feagan shows the county on track for a fifth consecutive record year with the General Fund Sales Tax, the primary source of funding for county government operations.