The city council held a special meeting on Thursday, March 17th at 6 p.m. at the city library to discuss and take action on the gap paving projects that the council had been discussing in recent months.
City Administrator Jeremy Tarr read the highlights from a letter sent by the city’s engineers, Miller and Associates of Kearney. The letter stated that the bids were opened publicly at City Hall on march 10th at 3:00 p.m. and that only one bid had been received from A&R Construction, despite the project being sent to a number of local and regional contractors.
The bid from A&R Construction was $1,557,365.09 and included gap paving for: Pilcher Avenue between 4th and 5th Street and between 5th and 6th Street, Lincoln Avenue from 2nd to 4th Street, Ellsworth Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Street and 3rd and 4th Street, Euclid Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Street and 3rd and 4th Street, 6th Street between Pilcher and Woodland Avenue, as well as the street between the ball fields (Lincoln Avenue from East of Main Street to 1st Street).
Miller and Associates also stated that their original estimates for the project was approximately $1,063,283.00, and that the bid had come in 46 percent higher than their original estimates. The also stated that the council had several options, including negotiating with the bidder, reject the bid and rebid at a later date, or award the project. Miller and Associates also said that the unit prices seen in the bid were in line with other contractor prices they had seen in the current market.
After short discussion, the council ended up passing a motion to reject the bids, which passed 4-0. The council also heard a number of comments and questions from the public towards the end of the meeting concerning the gap paving project. The council responded that they didn’t plan on abandoning the project, when asked if they would make a motion to scrap the project. Council member Bob Smith said that the city had already invested resources and money into it, and that it would be revisited in the future. Smith stated that all options would be on the table, and said that they would take a second look at possible prioritizing streets such as Lincoln Avenue between the ball fields.
Other City Business
-Council members also passed a motion to approve an amendment to Bud’s Sanitary Service contract for their garbage servicing rates. City Administrator Tarr said that their was a provision in the contract with the city stating that rates could be renegotiated if gas prices increased over a specified limit. The approved motion increased the garbage service by $765 a month, making the new monthly total $5,517.00. Tarr also added that they city had the ability to renegotiate the contract prices if gas prices were to drop back down in the coming months.
-The council passed a motion to approve a NAHTF budget amendment for the potential quad housing project for the northeast part of the community. Economic development head, Susan Norris, reported that the state was allowing for applications to amend their budgets for additional $80,000.00 in money due to current construction prices.
-Mayor Brian Schlote read a proclamation for National Library Week for the dates of April 3rd through the 9th, with the proclamation detailing the amount of good that libraries do for communities throughout the nation, and the many reasons they are to be recognized.
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