Board OKs hirings, Bobcat

The city’s street department is getting new equipment and new employees.

The water department will have a new employee as well.

Portland Board of Works approved the purchase of a new excavator as well as the hiring of the new employees at its meeting Thursday afternoon.

Street department superintendent Tom Leonhard explained that the department currently uses a skid-steer loader for doing work such as sidewalk projects. It’s time consuming and causes significant damage to yards, he added.

A mini excavator would make that work easier and take less of a toll on the yards, he said.

Board members Steve McIntosh, Jerry Leonhard and Portland Mayor John Boggs unanimously approved the purchase of a Bobcat mini excavator from Mercer Bobcat at a cost of $45,340.

The board also approved Leonhard’s recommendation to hire Joe Jackson, who is transferring from the water department, and Joey Bailey, who has worked for the street department for the last three summers. (They fill the roles that were held by Ryan Edmundson and Ted Ferguson, who were fired last month after an Oct. 7 incident that resulted in an injured employee.)

It then also approved the hiring of Jason Sheffer for the water department to replace Joe Jackson on the recommendation of superintendent Doug Jackson.

Also Thursday, the board approved a contract with Wessler Engineering not to exceed $17,000 for building inspections to determine the structural integrity of the Bailey Building, The Greazy Pickle and the former Tom and Rod’s restaurant, both on Main Street on the west side of the downtown area.

Boggs noted that about a month ago a building collapsed in Hartford City. The city was found liable.

“We’re trying to get ahead of buildings that might be in bad shape and have them looked at,” said Boggs, adding that he had some inquiries from city council on the issue. “And if they need to be condemned, condemn them. And if they need to be fixed, get them fixed.”

(The roof of a building also collapsed in Dunkirk last weekend. There were no injuries in that incident.)

The board also approved the sale of 510 to 526 W. High Street — a portion of the former hospital building — to Rob Davidson for $1,000. He was the lone bidder.

In other business, the board:

•Heard from wastewater department superintendent Brad Clayton that he has contracted with Advanced Rehabilitation Technology to line the inside of a primary tank at his department at a cost of $20,500. The work is expected to be completed during the week of Thanksgiving.

•Agreed to pay a $371 plumbing bill for a property at 703 W. Arch St. The city’s vacuum truck has been down so a private contractor had to be called to handle cleaning out the clog in the sewer line.