City briefs

[May 13, 2009] 

Police will assist with bicycling event May 17

Police Chief Stuart Erlenbush said that even though he was not asked for assistance, he will be posting an officer at the Jefferson Street intersection with Lincoln Parkway between 1 and 3 p.m. on May 17 to assure the safety of Spring Family Bike Ride participants in crossing the four-lane highway to enter Kickapoo Creek Park.

National Police Week

Sunday kicked off National Police Week across the country, and Friday will be the official National Peace Officers Day.

Erlenbush asked that these officers be acknowledged for their commitment. "If you see one of the brothers in blue or brown, whatever color they may be wearing, please give them a thank-you," he said.

Grant application for exhaust system at firehouse

Fire Chief Kent Hulett said that next week he will be filing a grant application that would assist in funding the new exhaust system for the firehouse. He said that he felt the city would qualify as a high priority for the $38,000 grant and added that this will be a 95/5 funding opportunity. The city will have to match 5 percent of the funds, with the grant covering 95 percent.

Roofing project to begin soon

City engineer Mark Mathon said that the contractors for the City Hall roof project, Top Quality Roofing, will begin moving in material and equipment on Monday.

He added that he doesn't have an exact date for when the work will begin, but it should be soon. When the actual work begins, there will be restrictions placed on parking around City Hall, for safety reasons.

Good news on mold testing

The mold testing in City Hall has come back with a good report on the conditions. The report says there is some naturally occurring mold in the building, Mathon said, but nothing that will require remediation.

Alderwoman Joni Tibbs said this was very good news, as mold remediation for the building would have been very costly.

Attic tour May 26

Tibbs is calling a meeting of the building and grounds committee on May 26 at 6:30 p.m., at which time Hulett will lead the group on a tour of the City Hall attic.

She said she wanted everyone to have a heads-up on what is in the attic, and she wants to tackle some cleanup projects up there.

City forgoes bid process on Singleton project

Alderman Orville "Buzz" Busby told the council that because it is an emergency situation, he wants to approve hiring the engineering and design work for the Singleton lift station project without going out for bids.

Busby said that it is an emergency because the temporary repairs done to Singleton have resulted in hoses lying on top of the ground and the need for a temporary fence to keep the public away from the area.

He reminded the council that this project will take the Kmart lift station equipment out of its location to Singleton, and includes the new construction at Malerich Drive for Castle Manor and the new hospital complex.

The motion to forgo the bidding process will apply only to the engineering and design of the system.

The final construction will go out for bids.

Alderwoman Marty Neitzel said she wanted a dollar amount for the motion, and Busby said he'd write the motion as not to exceed $50,000.

Collective bargaining agreement signed

City attorney Bill Bates said that the collective bargaining agreement for the city police officers was signed on Tuesday by Mayor Keith Snyder.

Bates reminded the council that the agreement is by "arbitrator agreement" and requires no action from the council.

WTI software upgrades

WTI, the software consultants for the city, met with Denise Martinek, city clerk, this past week and reviewed the upgrades they felt were needed for the city's accounting software.

Alderwoman Melody Anderson said that WTI had been here earlier in the year and evaluated the needs of the city and offered recommendations for change. Those upgrades will be installed in the near future.

Executive session called by Anderson

The Tuesday night workshop meeting ended with Anderson requesting an executive session for the purpose of discussing employee hiring and compensation.

[By NILA SMITH]