HANSON — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Dec. 20 voted unanimously to award the Plymouth County Hospital demolition contract to low-bidder J.R. Vinagro Corp., of Johnstown, R.I., which bid $989,450 for the project.
Engineering costs must still be calculated on the project and the approval is conditional on the “successful fulfillment of any additional required submittals and certifications,” Town Administrator Michael McCue said.
“I think it’s great news,” said Selectman Kenny Mitchell.
All bidders provided complete submissions, including the required bid bonds. Bids ranged from Vinagro’s low of $989,450 to a high bid of $2,429,450.
Voters at Town Meeting appropriated $1.8 million for the demolition work, of which $300,000 was from free cash.
“Based upon the criteria stipulated in the bid documents, Vinagro is a qualified and responsive bidder,” Hanson’s town engineer Alan Hamscom wrote to the board on behalf of Beta Engineering, of which is vice president. “Based upon our involvement with Vinagro on past demolition projects, we recommend award of the subject contract to J.R. Vinagro Corp.”
McCue, too, said he has dealt with Vinagro on a similar demolition project when he worked for the town of Avon.
“I had no issues [with them] and was very pleased to pass that along to our engineer,” he said. “They do have a track record both with our engineer and myself.”
Selectmen Chairman James McGahan said there were 10 bidders for the contract. McGahan asked why there was such a wide range of bid prices. McCue said a lot of it has to do with the companies’ locations as well as the advantageous timing of the bid process during a slow period for such work.
“They are a local company,” McCue said of Vinagro. “I think they are trying to make further inroads in the business — get some more small projects under their [belt] so that they can continue to be successful and win bids. … It’s not at all unusual to see a wide range of bid prices.”
The next two lowest bids were from Ramco Survey Stake Co. of West Bridgewater at $1,067,000 and American Environmental Inc., of Holyoke at $1,078,850.
The demolition project at the former Plymouth County Hospital site involves tearing down the main hospital building as well as all the out buildings behind the Bonney house and near the water tank as well as the old paint shop behind the food pantry building and a trailer in the woods, according to Selectman Don Howard.
Selectmen also approved, by a 4-1 vote with Selectman Bill Scott in opposition, a request for a waiver of the rental fee at Camp Kiwanee for an event sponsored by the Hanson Business Network to benefit nonprofit school groups.
The St. Patrick’s-themed event — with corned beef and cabbage dinner and Irish entertainment — from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., on Friday, March 17, 2017 is a fundraiser for Panther Education Trust and the Hanson PTO, both 501 (c)(3) organizations. The event is a way of “giving back to the community,” HBN representative Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett wrote in the waiver request.
Mitchell and Selectman Bruce Young both pointed out that the Hanson Has Taste event McGahan hosted to supply ChromeBooks for the Middle School was a similar use of the facility.
“The precedent has been set,” Young said, indicating FitzGerald-Kemmett’s request was also in compliance with camp policies and procedures.
But Scott was concerned about why a school group was not sponsoring the event.
“Why is the business network applying for [the waiver]?” Scott asked.
In other business, selectmen tabled a discussion of properties at Lakeside Road and Brook Street with the Conservation Commission because of “a mix-up on the agenda.” Conservation Chairman Phil Clemons, who had asked for the discussion, was not notified it was being included on the agenda, McGahan said. Area residents had also expressed interest in attending any discussion on the subject.
A discussion and potential vote regarding animal control services was also held over to Jan. 10 because a planned arrangement was not finalized and a secondary plan is being sought, McCue said. Whitman has agreed to cover Hanson under the regional agreement from which Hanson is withdrawing until a new plan is in place.