POMEROY–Mayor G. Paul Miller signed the Notice of Award to Nelson Construction Corporation during the City Council meeting May 6.

Mayor Miller said it appeared that the only monetary solution is to use funds from the Complete Streets fund. The maximum it can use is limited to $20,000 per the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), which would bring the total available to $47,331.00. Any additional costs would have to be borne by TD&H.

“We don’t wish to take it out of the Complete Streets fund,” said Miller. “Either this or throw out the bids.” Luke Antonich of TD&H Engineering said increasing the CE funding to $47,331.00 was acceptable and that they could complete the project for that amount. Miller asked why the UCE form changed from $45,838.00 to $55,838.00, an increase of $10,000 on March 10, 2020, Antonich said the UCE form was increased by $10,000 based on the bid authorization previously approved through TIB, with directions instructing the removal of $10,000 from the construction budget to cover surveying by the contractor.

Miller stated the solution to the low bid for the Columbia Fifth to Sixth project is to use funds from the Complete Streets fund during the City Council meeting May 5. The initial amount allotted was reduced when the project bids received were much lower than anticipated, as it was based on a percentage of the bid.

Funds were moved due the lower-than-anticipated bid. The amount of work to be done requires fifty days to be completed, which means fifty days on the job by TD&H. Each day runs between $1,000 to $2,000, depending on the contract and travel involved. Harris determined from Bly that TD&H cannot complete a full set of inspection services for $27,000, he moved to use $20,000 from Complete Streets and use the funds for CE costs for the Columbia Fifth to Sixth Street project which was approved.

In the original agreement is was for regular pavement with asphalt. In that scenario, it would leave some unused funds. Bly is working with S&L Underground to complete the paving and Nelson as a subcontractor to pave the bridge.

Chris Workman at TIB asked TD&H to obtain an estimate from the contractor for pouring a sidewalk on the north side of Columbia and submit it to TIB for review. Workman noted that this item would not require any construction engineering by TD&H.

Catherine Chalfaunt made a request by email to the council for relief from water overage charges at 62 Seventh Street totaling $117.0l. Harris noted the standard relief granted was fifty percent, which in this case would be $58.51. He made a motion to grant the fifty percent overage relief, Bowles seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The next three items on the agenda were all included in the packets received by council members and were read-only, requiring no action needed to be taken. These included a situation report from John Hirsch of the Garfield County Emergency Operations Center; a water system plan review letter from the Department of Health; and information to review regarding federal stimulus funding for local governments.

There were no council committee reports. City Superintendent Kenny Landkammer submitted a written report to the council for the Public Works Department. Martin referenced the Quarterly, Expenditure, Revenue and Cash reports, as well as the ninety-day Age Analysis Reports, which she had provided to the council in their packets. She told them the single audit is still ongoing and updated the council committee sheet given to the council.

Sheriff Drew Hyer sent his department report to council members prior to the meeting, as he was not able to attend the teleconference.

The next regular meeting of the city council will be on June 9, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.