The Harlan Fiscal Court awarded a project to upgrade the restroom facilities at the Harlan County Courthouse during a meeting on Tuesday.

Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley brought the subject up to the magistrates, reminding them the county has previously opened the project up for bids.

“The downstairs restrooms are not one of our brightest spots in this building,” Mosley said. “Those restrooms are in bad condition, and we can’t close them down to rehabilitate them because they’re the only public restrooms in the building.”

Mosley explained because the fiscal courtroom also serves as the emergency headquarters for the county in case of emergency, restrooms are needed on that floor.

“You all are aware we advertised for a project for both upstairs and downstairs,” Mosley said. “There were nine plan holders, however nobody submitted a bid in the first round.”

Mosley added the county bid the job a second time.

“We extended the deadline two weeks,” Mosley said. “After the two-week extension, there were still zero bids.”

Mosley stated according to state law, the county has the authority to negotiate with any company if no bids are received after the first deadline.

“After the bid deadline passes once, you have the authority to negotiate a price and move on,” Mosley explained. “But we went ahead and as a matter of caution advertised twice, and we still didn’t get any bids.”

Mosley said he met with multiple plan holders to negotiate.

“We gave them a deadline of 4 p.m. yesterday to submit their price,” Mosley said. “The two contractors I met with were Dixon Plumbing and Electric from here in Harlan and Lewis Brothers from Perry County.”

Mosley said Dixon Plumbing’s base bid for both bathrooms totaled $175,000. Lewis Brother’s base price came in at a total $391,700.

“Dixon Plumbing and Electric was substantially lower,” Mosley said. “It would be my recommendation that we award the courthouse restroom facilities project to Dixon Plumbing and Electric.”

The magistrates followed Mosley’s recommendation and passed a motion awarding the project to Dixon Plumbing and Electric. The motion passed with no opposition.

Mosley said the project may begin in August.