Mathews supervisors voted Tuesday night to go into negotiations with Michels Construction Inc., a Brownsville, Wisconsin, company, for the first phase of the Hole in the Wall dredge project—dredging and material placement. Michels estimated a $1.7 million cost, but the final price will be decided after negotiations.
The board also decided to issue another request for proporsals for Phase 2 of the project, shoreline restoration, since the only cost estimate for that phase, which was from the same firm, was $3.1 million, which was much higher than anticipated.
A negotiating committee composed of supervisor Mike Walls, planning commissioner Harry Meeks, Mathews County Administrator Ramona Wilson, and Planning and Zoning Director James Knighton was appointed to handle the negotiations. A second planning commission member will be appointed, as well, based on what commission members might express an interest in it.
Wilson told the board that the total estimates for all four phases of the dre...