Lake County Seeks Bids for Aggregate Stockpile Production, Deadline April 16

The Lake County Highway Department published an Advertisement for Bids on March 19, 2026, seeking contractors to produce aggregate stockpiles for county projects, with electronic bids due April 16.

County Highway Engineer Jason DiPiazza's department is administering the solicitation, which the Lake County Board authorized alongside a cluster of other infrastructure and operational decisions at a recent board meeting. Among the other items approved were snowplow repairs and the purchase of a new pressure washer and culvert steamer for the Highway Department, contextualizing the aggregate contract within a broader round of road maintenance procurement.

The bidding process is fully electronic. According to the bid documents prepared by engineering consultant Bolton & Menk, Inc., Lake County will accept only online electronic bids submitted through Bid Express. Contractors must first be on the plan holders list through Bid Express before their bids will be considered. To participate, bidders click the "FOR VENDORS" button on the Bid Express website, set up or log in to a vendor account, select the project, download documents, and complete the process online. All inquiries and questions must also be submitted through Bid Express.

Bids will be received for a single prime contract, priced on a unit price basis for the base bid, with any alternate bid items as indicated on the Bid Form.

Bidders must submit a security deposit of not less than 5 percent of the total amount bid, drawn in favor of Lake County and uploaded through Bid Express. Acceptable forms include an electronic copy of a certified check, cashier's check, or paper bid bond. Electronic bond submissions may be processed through Surety 2000 or Surety Wave. Any proposal guaranty in bond form must be issued by a corporation authorized by the Minnesota Department of Commerce to contract as a surety in Minnesota.

Contractors who prefer printed bid documents can obtain them by sending a check payable to Bolton & Menk, Inc. to 4690 Miller Trunk Highway, Suite 350, Duluth, MN 55811. The fee includes applicable sales tax and shipping. Bolton & Menk can also be reached by phone at (218) 729-5939. The bid documents note that while bidders may rely on PDF and other digital versions of the bidding documents for bid preparation, contractors assume all risks associated with discrepancies that may arise from electronic transmission or reproduction.

The County Board's session also produced approvals for a Special Event Permit for the Wolf Bikepacking Race scheduled for July 10-12, a second public hearing on the establishment of a cartway, new shotguns for the Sheriff's Office, roof renovation payments to The Jamar Company, reimbursement to the City of Silver Bay for half the cost of replacement zamboni batteries, a 63-month printer and scanner lease for the Lake County Recorder's Office, and a contract with CivicPlus.