County Commission members indicated Tuesday they will vote next week to approve a new contract with Walden Security for guard duty at county buildings.
Alan Knowles said bid documents were sent to 216 vendors and only three expressed an interest. The bidders were Walden and another local firm, Emerson Russell's TriState Security.
Mr. Knowles said the Walden bid will cost the county $16,665 a week, and the Russell bid was at $18,068 per week.
There is a higher average wage included in the Walden bid than in the one approved in 2007. It goes from $10.97 an hour to $11.91 an hour.
The new contract calls for additional coverage - up from 1,318 to 1,398 per week.
The Walden cost will be $866,588.84 per year.
The contract will be for three years and can be extended for two more two-year periods.
In another matter, the commission is due to make drainage improvements at the McDaniel Building at 455 N. Highland Park Ave. The building was donated to the county and a number of county offices are now housed there.
Commissioner Fred Skillern said the building has a leaky roof and also water gets inside from the ground.
The upcoming contract is to fix the problem of water seeping in.
Commissioner Skillern said the roof work would have to come later.
The $85,242 contract is with Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Company. It was originally at $127,075, but was "value engineered" down.
Part of the work will involve an alternate connection of the roof gutter downspouts.
The improvements will be funded out of bonds.