Redkey OKs Tressler contract

The town’s contract with Bill Tressler Backhoe & Trenching will continue.

At its special meeting Wednesday, Redkey Town Council approved its 2021 contract with Tressler, who provides excavation and sewer service to the town.

At their regular December meeting, council members decided to seek bids from other companies for these services. They only received one bid, from Tressler, which was approved on a 4-1 vote. Council member Randy May dissented.

“I’m going to vote no, because I’m ready to go back to a full-time employee,” May said.

Other council members noted that in the past, the town hasn’t been successful at keeping a full-time employee to do the work Tressler does.

“The good thing about the contract is he has to honor that contract throughout the year,” said council member Erik Hammers. “A full-time employee could get hired this week and quit next week.”

Tressler pointed out that both he and council had 45 days to sever the contract if either thought it necessary.

“When we went into this a year and a half ago, it was new to everybody at that time,” Tressler said. “It’s still new and there’s still nothing that couldn’t be up for negotiation or whatever, if you have an idea.”

Also on Wednesday, council approved purchasing items for Redkey Police Department using the surplus in the department’s budget for this year.

Town marshal Todd Miller told council that he had about $17,000 left over. The timing of the purchase prevented using the surplus to help pay for the department’s new Dodge Durango, which is expected sometime in 2021. Instead, Miller proposed using the money to outfit the Durango when it arrives and to purchase new tires for the other two police vehicles.

Council approved purchasing the equipment for the Durango, which will include running boards, consoles and partitions, from Taylor’d Equipment for $7,530.09. It also approved purchasing new tires for the department’s Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Impala for $1,136.16 from Greens Fork Alignment & Service Inc. of Muncie.

In other business, council members Gary Gardner, Dottie Quakenbush, John Pierce, May and Hammers:

•Tabled a decision on the town’s insurance for 2021. Gardner told council that the town’s insurance provider, Barnum-Brown Insurance of Dunkirk, is looking into different health insurance companies.

•Approved purchasing a software add-on for the clerk-treasurer’s office, which will digitize the work order process. Pamela Collett, the town’s new employee in the office, is already familiar with the software and will help train new clerk-treasurer Mary Eley. The software will be purchased from Boyce Systems for $1,000.

•Were reminded that their first meeting of the year, to appoint department heads, will be at 6 p.m. Friday.

•Approved claims of $184,863.65.