Camden commissioners approve three Kings Bay contracts expected to net county about $348,000
The Camden County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved three contract awards for work on Kings Bay Naval Base that county figures show will bring in about $348,000 more than the county will spend. Public Works Director Jared Beaudoin said the money will go toward Public Works equipment.
The projects are handled under an intergovernmental support agreement, or IGSA, that the county entered into with the U.S. Navy in 2026, according to agenda documents. The Navy pays the county for each project, and the agreement includes a fee schedule to cover county expenses.
The largest award, $1,225,510, went to WW Gay Mechanical Contractor, Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida, to replace three high-pressure breathing air compressors. The county expects $1,348,061 in revenue on that project, a difference of $122,551. The Navy has earmarked $1,350,000 for the work, and the county received one qualified proposal.
Commissioners also awarded $1,129,108 to Owens and Pridgen, Inc. of Brunswick to replace underground high-pressure steam lines, with expected revenue of $1,242,018.80, and $972,453.12 to Reeves Construction Company for pavement resurfacing of USS Daniel Webster on the base, with expected revenue of $1,085,501.88. The steam line request drew one qualified proposal, and the resurfacing project drew two bids. Public Works will do minor roadway preparation for the resurfacing and receive about 3,500 tons of millings, the ground-up old pavement removed during resurfacing, for use on unpaved county roads.
Beaudoin said the county pays $17 a ton for millings from base projects, compared with about $67 a ton from a contractor. He said the county had more than $8 million in earmarked base projects last fiscal year and about $10 million more earmarked for the current fiscal year, and that he plans to buy equipment the department is now renting once the projects pay out.
During public comment, one resident said using county employees and equipment as contractors on the base carries hidden costs and told commissioners county roads and drainage ditches are not being maintained.
The resurfacing contract was added to the agenda at the start of the meeting. Chairman Robbie Cheek was absent.