$19,500 Low Bid Recommended for Ramp and Porch at 127 N. Main

Montgomery County Board Buildings & Grounds Committee Meeting | July 7, 2026

Article Summary: The Montgomery County Board Buildings & Grounds Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, reviewed three proposals ranging from $65,000 down to $19,500 to replace the ramp and porch at 127 N. Main, and voted to recommend awarding the low bid to RL Construction of Hillsboro. Maintenance Director Phil Ernst and Circuit Clerk Daniel Robbins told the committee they were confident the building would be ready for use at well under its $100,000 budget.

127 N. Main Key Points:

• Three proposals ranged from $65,000 to $19,500; the low bid, $19,500, came from RL Construction of Hillsboro.
• Motion by Russ Beason, second by Roy Schieferdecker, to recommend the award; all in favor, motion carried.
• RL Construction’s proposal calls for removing the existing wood deck, railing and framing, and rebuilding with composite decking, at ramp and railing heights the contractor states will be ADA compliant.
• The proposal gives a start date of Oct. 1, 2026, and a finish date of Nov. 1, 2026, and states it reflects prevailing wage requirements.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — The spread between the highest and lowest proposal to rebuild one porch was better than three to one.

The Montgomery County Board Buildings & Grounds Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, reviewed three proposals to replace the ramp and porch in front of 127 N. Main, ranging from $65,000 to $19,500, according to the minutes. The committee voted to recommend awarding the low bid of $19,500 to RL Construction of Hillsboro, on a motion by Russ Beason seconded by Roy Schieferdecker. All in favor; motion carried.

Both Maintenance Director Phil Ernst and Circuit Clerk Daniel Robbins were confident the building would be ready for use at well under the $100,000 budget, the minutes state. Robbins attended the meeting; the building is to house the Probation and Court Services Department.

The minutes name only the low bidder. The two other proposals — including whatever sat between $65,000 and $19,500 — are not attributed, and their figures are not given beyond the range.

What the Winning Bid Covers

RL Construction’s proposal, on file with the committee, is a one-page document from a contractor at 403 Hickory in Hillsboro. It lists seven items of work.

The existing wood deck, railing and wood framing come out. New treated wrapped wood framing goes in, to match the existing porch and railing. A new porch ramp is built to match the existing, with composite decking. New railing is built with composite decking, and the proposal states that ramp and railing height will be ADA compliant. New composite steps are installed. The old porch debris is disposed of. The site is cleaned up.

The proposal states it reflects prevailing wage requirements — the statutory obligation, generally, for contractors on public works to pay locally prevailing rates by craft.

It also carries dates the minutes do not mention: RL would be able to start the project on Oct. 1, 2026, and finish Nov. 1, 2026.

The proposal describes the job site not as 127 N. Main but by a different name — the rehab center on Main Street. It is the contractor’s own rendering of the location, and the county’s motion ties the $19,500 to 127 N. Main.

A Building With Several Names and a $100,000 Budget

The county has been working through a $100,000 repairs and improvements budget at the property, which its own cost tracking has titled the Montgomery County Courthouse Complex Specialty Courts Building. County documents have also called it the new probation building, the Specialty Courts Annex and the new specialty court facility.

Two 36-inch ADA doors have been installed, and sewer work was reported nearly complete in June.

The committee’s action is a recommendation only. RL Construction has no contract, and no money moves, until the full County Board acts.