Council tables trash pact (12/28/04)

DUNKIRK — Council members here plan to meet in special session Thursday afternoon to award a new three-year contract for city refuse collection service.

The current contract with BestWay Disposal Co., Modoc, expires on Friday, Dec. 31.

Three bids were opened at Monday night’s council session for the service. In addition to BestWay, the bidders were Rumpke of Greenville, Ohio, and Waste Management of Muncie.

Apparent low bidder was BestWay, but Mayor Sam Hubbard said he wanted more time to study the bid documents, and consequently a special council meeting was set for 4:30 p.m. Thursday in city hall to handle that one item. The mayor pointed out that city attorney William Hinkle was not present for Monday night’s meeting, and he wanted to get the attorney’s opinion on the issue.

Hubbard said that a preliminary review of the bid documents indicated that BestWay had the lowest costs per year — $103,104 for the first year of the contract; $106,128 for the second year; and $109,96 for the third year, based on making pickups once a week from 1,200 residential and commercial units.

All three firms said they would use the current pickup system involving containers being placed at the curbside at the scheduled pickup times.

Other business at Monday night’s council session focused on encumbering unused budget funds in various departments for use next year.

Police Chief Arnold Clevenger requested that any remaining funds in his department’s budget be put toward the purchase of a new squad car next year. This request was approved, as well as a similar one from Mayor Hubbard to encumber $27,656 for repairs to the exterior of the city hall building.

Hubbard said he had asked three companies to bid on this project, but only one responded. That quote was supplied by Burns Builders of Fort Wayne.

Also $57,000 was encumbered for street paving work next summer. Clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler said that this was necessary because LICA Construction Corp., Portland, was not able to do the work this year, and had consequently agreed to hold its low bid price from this year for next year.

Other future projects concerned the parks and recreation department. Council members agreed to encumber funds for the purchase of new handicapped accessible picnic tables, and the construction of a pole barn to be used as a concession stand near the large softball diamond at the northern entrance to Dunkirk City Park. The eight steel picnic tables were estimated to cost $5,200 while the concession stand project is expected to total about $6,000.

In other business Monday night council members:

•Approved personnel changes for the street and water departments including the transfer of veteran city employee Howard Fisher from being assistant supervisor of the water department to assistant supervisor with the street department.

Also in the water department John Sampley was promoted to assistant supervisor, and Nathan Jones was named lab technician. These appointments will all be effective on Monday, Jan. 3.

•Set a plan commission meeting for 6 p.m. on Jan. 10 in city hall to consider a request by Harold and Teresa Nichols, rural Redkey, to allow for a downstairs apartment in a downtown building at 126 S. Main St. A previously scheduled hearing on this issue had to be canceled due to lack of a quorum.

•Heard a report from Kesler that special pickups would be scheduled to collect unwanted Christmas trees. She said any residents interested in this service should call the clerk-treasurer’s office at city hall.[[In-content Ad]]