County Awards $150,187 EMA Building Bid to Hillsboro Contractor

Montgomery County Board Meeting | May 12, 2026

Article Summary: The Montgomery County Board on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, unanimously awarded a $150,187.19 low bid to Thomas Hapner Construction of Hillsboro for the first phase of work on the EMA building at the county Highway Department, with a $144,749 grant covering most of the cost.

EMA Building Bid Key Points:

• Five sealed bids were opened by the Buildings & Grounds Committee; the low bidder appeared to meet the bid requirements after review.
• The grant reimbursement amount will be $144,749, leaving roughly $5,438 to be paid through the EMA budget.
• The award passed on a 13-0 roll-call vote.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — The Montgomery County Board on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, awarded the low bid of $150,187.19 to Thomas Hapner Construction of Hillsboro for the first phase of work on the EMA building at the Highway Department.

Buildings & Grounds Committee Chairman Mark Hughes reported that the committee opened five sealed bids for the first phase of the project. After review, he said, the low bidder appeared to meet the bid requirements.

Hughes said the grant reimbursement amount will be $144,749, and the difference can be paid through the EMA budget. Based on the figures presented, that difference is approximately $5,438.19.

Hughes moved the award, with a second from Jeremy Jones. On a roll-call vote, Russell Beason, Connie Beck, Rob Corso, Chris Daniels, Doug Donaldson, Cody Gudgel, Keith Hancock, Hughes, Jones, Ethan Murzynski, Chad Ruppert, Patty Whitworth and Evan Young all voted yes. The motion carried.

The county Highway Department, where the building is located, sits at 11159 Illinois Route 185 in Hillsboro. County Engineer Cody Greenwood told the Roads & Bridges Committee on April 8, 2026, that the department’s heavy equipment shed at the same site is now being utilized, with the only remaining project being connecting the building to a gas line for heat.

EMA/EPA/911 Director Dan Hough attended a pre-bid meeting on April 13, 2026, according to the office’s monthly activity log. Hough was present at Tuesday’s meeting for questions on the EMA and EPA reports on the Consent Agenda.

Donaldson, reporting for the Coordinating Committee, said Hough distributed an action report from a March 30, 2026, tabletop exercise and has been busy responding to weather events this spring. Hough told members he met with the National Weather Service recently, and they are very receptive to the county’s proposed tower site for a weather radio transmitter. Hough said the State’s Attorney will review the agreement when it is ready.

The EMA office’s activity logs for the period show a steady schedule of Local Emergency Planning Committee meetings, MABAS sessions, Emergency Telephone System Board meetings and training courses, including a storm spotter class held with the National Weather Service for first responders and the community at Lincoln Land Community College in Litchfield, and a tabletop exercise at Hillsboro Hospital in April.