MORGANTOWN — The creation of a comprehensive, county-wide broadband plan is ready to proceed.
The Monongalia County Commission on Wednesday selected Columbus, Ohio-based Ice Miller Whiteboard as the firm to lead that effort.
At $250,657, Ice Miller Whiteboard’s proposal was the highest of the five firms to reach the cost proposal stage of the selection process. Their proposal was nearly $200,000 more than the other finalist, Entry Point, out of Salt Lake City, Utah ($57,500).
Commission President Sean Sikora, who led the procurement process as part of a technical evaluation committee, said the decision was weighted heavily toward the firms’ technical proposals, with cost making up about 30% of the overall score.
“They had a lot more engineering built into their proposal, which is what we wanted. We want actionable plans. Once we decide what we want to do, we want the plans to be able to do that and not be handed a one-size-fits-all solution,” Sikora said of Ice Miller Whiteboard.
Commissioner Tom Bloom said people may balk at the commission not simply going with the cheapest offer.
“I don’t look at it that way,” Bloom said. “You looked at the program that was best for Mon County and what was best for all of us in the comprehensive plan.”
Sikora explained further.
“You really could be penny wise and pound foolish … A lot of times governments do sealed bids and the bid is what it is. What I do is more best value. We’re bringing in the overall best value. And in the end, we may be saving ourselves money because of all the planning that’s done ahead of time.”
The commission also voted to give Ice Miller Whiteboard exclusive status for a follow-on contract to help implement the comprehensive broadband plan once complete.
Sikora said that vote is not binding and does not obligate the commission to select the firm when that time comes.
Also on Wednesday, the commission held a public hearing and voted to authorize a refinancing of the Monongalia County Justice Center.
In 2014, roughly $18 million in bonds were issued to finance the transformation of the former Harley O. Staggers federal building into the justice center.
By issuing a new series of bonds with a lower debt service, the county is expected to save about $1.5 million.
There is roughly $13 million outstanding on the justice center project.
