City Council 09-15-2015

There was a larger than usual crowd at the city council meeting on Monday night. Most of the extra people were there for bid openings. Before that item on the agenda was reached, the council approved closing Susan Street on October 3 for the Saint Augustine School Fall Frolic, passed an ordinance that establishes a salary so they can hire a manager of operations for the electrical department, passed a gas tracker of a 2 cent decrease per hundred cubic feet and an electric rate tracker that will decrease bills by a few cents a month, passed an ordinance adding the new .23 miles of St. Gasper Drive into the city's street inventory so that the city will be eligible for state funds, and approved the city police department to explore using the 800 MHz tower that the sheriff's department is renting and thereby helping defray the cost of the tower.

 Then it was time to open bids for the wet water treatment plant that will be built on Lincoln Street. There were four bids that ranged from $7,508,950 to $8,0890,00. There were also a variety of adjustments, both additions to the project and deductions from it. The matter was given to the engineering consultants, Commonwealth, to consider and make a recommendation. The wet water treatment plant is being built because the state is requiring it. I have to wonder how it would fare if subjected to a cost-benefit study.

After that there were three bids opened for street repairs. They ranged from $357,715 to $366,255. They were given to a committee of Lockridge, Cover, and Overton to evaluate and return with a recommendation.

The council also approved getting quotes on dental and vision insurance for city employees. In comments from city superintendents, the start of construction of the interstate water project was set in the week of Sept 21 or 28.

Before the city council meeting, the Board of Public Works held a short meeting to approve payment of various bills. It also approved the applications of two people for the fire department, which will bring the roster up to a full 30.

Here is something totally unrelated. Can you identify this flower? It is not a native plant, it is not an ornamental plant, and it is not a weed.