Developer pulls project at Hillsboro Business Park
Staff reporter
A developer who intended to build at the new Hillsboro Business Park has pulled his project, at least for now.
Albert Reimer asked Hillsboro City Council, through a letter, to void a contract he had signed with the city and return his $1,000 earnest money.
The council agreed to return the money minus a termination fee, if applicable.
In other business:
— The council approved a lease contract for $281 per month with Office Plus of Newton for a black and white printer.
A previous contract was for $319 per month.
The printer would have capacity to scan documents to computers.
— City administrator Larry Paine reported that the city's telephone system needed to be updated.
The system was installed in the 1980s and no longer is being serviced because of its age. The last time the city had a problem, there was no service company willing to respond and a former city employee repaired it.
With savings from long distance charges, some of that money could be used to fund a portion of a new phone system.
The plan would include replacing main phone switches at city hall and the police department, setting up a wireless phone network for offices at the museum, golf course, and sports complex, and a wireless network serving the water plant, street department, and electric department, combining Internet services, and a system to integrate existing cell phone services by allowing a direct transfer of calls to city staff in the field.
The proposed system could cost $24,188, Paine said. The wireless connections could cost an additional $9,233.
The council will discuss at a future meeting.
— Council retreats or work sessions were planned for the council. The first work session was held Tuesday with additional sessions planned for 4 p.m. today (Wednesday) and 4 p.m. Monday. The next regular council meeting is at 4 p.m. Jan. 22.
