Tampa City Council: City talks contractors
Contributing writer
Rosemary Saunders, coordinator for Tampa's demolition grant, appeared at the City Council meeting Jan. 6 to report on developments. She informed the council that the Community Development Block Grant office had approved Grosse Construction of Peabody as an eligible contractor and that she had obtained good references from others for whom the company had worked.
Council members expressed some concern about assuring the quality of the work. Saunders said, "He will not be paid until everything is approved by you."
Tom Leihy, who was presiding at the meeting in the absence of Mayor Jim Clemmer, asked whether another meeting of the council would be necessary before signing a contract. Saunders replied that since the council had voted to award the contract to Grosse subject to state approval, the mayor and city clerk could sign the contract without another meeting.
Saunders presented a bill for $3,380 from the architect William Morris to be paid from the grant funds. Paul Backhus moved, and Tim Svoboda seconded to pay that bill and the motion passed unanimously.
Stan Nitzel, cement contractor, came to the meeting to submit a bid for a guttering project to correct drainage problems on Main Street. His proposal called for replacing sidewalks and either replacing or installing curbs and gutters at both ends of the west side of the main business block and on the north side of Third Street from Main Street to the alley to the west. This would include frost-proof footings, a wheel-chair ramp and the reshaping of the dip in front of the fire station. He also proposed installing curbs and gutters on the east side of the same block.
Paul Backhus asked whether water could dump into an existing culvert in front of the bank instead of installing a curb there. Nitzel had not realized the culvert was there, but thought Backhus' suggestion could work.
According to Nitzel's figures, the block is 365 feet long and there is a fall of approximately two feet on the west side, but about 13 inches on the east, or nine inches from the south line of the bank property to Third Street.
After explaining some of the technical issues in his proposal to the council, Nitzel agreed to figure costs with the change in curbing on the east side and re-submit his bid.
Leihy informed the council that Stutzman Refuse Service had sent the new contract for trash service with the changes agreed upon at a previous meeting. Fees for the transfer station now are being collected by the county as taxes and will no longer be paid to Stutzman. The contract sets the fee for hauling and for the trash bins now furnished by the refuse service.
Council members were given a financial table from Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk and Loyd, the city's tax accountants, showing the impact to Tampa of the recent cuts in state allocations to cities. The total known impact for the first half of 2003 will be $1,449. If the 2003 legislature does not replace funding for the next fiscal year, the losses could be greater.
Leihy gave council members forms to file for re-election. Candidates must file by Jan. 21. Anyone wishing to file for the offices of mayor or council member must either pay a $5 filing fee or get signatures on a petition. The number of signatures needed is a percentage of the votes cast in the last election. For Tampa, the requirement is 18 signatures.
The council discussed whether to share their present offices with the newly-constituted fire district or to move the city offices. The consensus was that it would be better to have separate offices. Plans were made to move to the west room of the senior center. Minimum requirements for the new office will be a telephone line and new locks. Council members will look into buying office furniture.
Among the bills approved for payment were $187.67 for dues to the Kansas League of Municipalities and $145.98 to Cardie Oil, Inc. for tractor tires and tubes.
