MANSFIELD — The Richland County Dog Warden & Adoption Center is planning ahead for warmer weather next summer.
The Richland County Board of Commissioners opened four bids Tuesday morning submitted by parties interested in installing HVAC air handling units at the shelter.
Bids were received from Calvary Mechanical ($306,000), CRS Metalworx ($285,000), Standard Plumbing and Heating ($286,880) and Universal Enterprises ($328,795).
CRS Metalworx was the apparent low bidder followed by Standard Plumbing and Heating, which submitted a bid $1,880 higher.
Craig Christie, senior project engineer at Karpinski Engineering, originally estimated the projected to cost between $320,000 to $335,000 back in April. Christie’s estimate as of Tuesday stands at $318,211.
Three of the four bids opened Tuesday are lower than the engineer’s estimate. Christie told commissioners the bids will be evaluated and discussed at a future date.
Per Ohio Revised Code Section 153.12, commissioners must award the project and have a signed contract within 60 days of Tuesday’s bid opening, according to Richland County Commissioner Tony Vero.
Christie submitted a proposal in April on behalf of his firm to design and monitor the installation of three HVAC air handling units. The proposal also included the subcontract and services of Mansfield-based Maurer Architectural Design (MAD) Studio, LLC.
The Board approved the engineering services agreement with Karpinski, which came with a flat-fee of $34,000 — paid for out of the county’s capital funds, Vero said in April.
Christie previously said the whole purpose of the project is to make canines at the shelter more comfortable — as well as volunteers — during the heat of summer. The shelter’s eight window AC units currently cost about $1,800 per month to operate during the summer, Commissioner Cliff Mears said in April.
Vero said the project is being paid for out of the county’s capital funds.
“To me, it was a quality of life issue for the animals and the volunteers and it was something that I felt we should look at,” Vero previously said. “Initial cost estimates were less than this, but I think the county is in a position from a capital funding standpoint to do this.”
Most of the physical work will be completed in spring 2026, Christie said Tuesday. The range of bids was about what he expected, the engineer said.
“I think this is a very competitive bid,” Christie said.
