Bids were presented to the Public Works Committee for the McHaney asphalt overlay project on Monday night.
Public Works Director Mark Key stated that the project received three bids; however, one of the bids did not meet specifications. The two bids that could meet the project's guidelines were from Barker Brothers for $267,000 and Red Rock Paving for $338,483.
The project's specifications include: grinding the street flat and laying two inches of asphalt, which when compressed will be around one and a half inches.
"Barker Brothers has done work for us in the past and the things is, the quality of work that we are looking for now…not saying they haven't done quality work but we may have to pay a little bit extra for what we want…I hate to spend the extra money but we want quality work and a quality job," Councilman John Musgraves said.
"Are they going to mill the entire street?" Councilman Stan Parks asked.
"Just the bad spots…on this one here, after they mill them, they are going to come back in and go ahead and patch them. Then they are going to do the thick layer and then the two inches of asphalt," Key responded.
Councilman L.C. Hartsfield suggested that the committee view some of the work that the two companies have completed in similar projects to see how the roads have held up before a decision is made.
"Who made Franklin?" Councilwoman Barbara Brothers asked.
"Barker," Parks responded.
The committee did not decide on a company to use but requested that Key set up a meeting with both groups to view some of their previous work.
In other business, Key presented a list of equipment to be added to those items at the upcoming auction at the Byrum Road armory building, which is being remodeled into the new Justice Complex. Key also presented several items to be scrapped out. Parks suggested that the items might bring more money if they were a part of the auction; however, Key stated that some of the items on the second list had been "parted out" to the point they were not feasible to be transferred to a different location by the department.
Key also questioned the committee on what authority they had when they saw equipment such as tractors and mowers being used within the city.
"Don't you guys have the authority to stop and go up to that person and ask them, ‘Do you work for the City of Blytheville?'" Key asked.
Hartsfield stated that they could do that but they do not hold any authority over city employees. Key requested that the council members take pictures if they see a potential misuse of city equipment. The committee agreed that they would keep an eye out.
During the Airport and Utilities committee meeting, Sewer director Garry Carr reported that the Byrum Road lift station had received some storm damage, including damage to a 25-foot privacy fence surrounding the station. The damages to the shop amounted to $1,350 and the department received $692 from insurance. Repairs to the shop have not begun, but the privacy fence has already been fixed.
Carr also reported that the department's 2018 budget had an error, which needed to be addressed. The new truck purchased by the department had a UV system that was not accounted for in the 2018 budget. The UV system was part of the 2017 budget for the truck; however, when the money carried over from 2017 to 2018, only the amount for the truck was added to the 2018 budget and the amount for the UV system was left in surplus. Carr requested that the committee add the money from surplus to equipment replacement.
"The truck, we've already paid for. It's the lights that we are going to put in and we started that and y'all agreed to do it (in 2017) and we just didn't carry it over from last year's budget to this year's budget," Chief financial officer John Callens said.
"We didn't spend it last year and we need to move it to this year, basically?" Parks asked.
"Right," Callens responded.
Additionally, Councilman R.L. Jones asked if the department had any more "fall-ins." Carr responded that he did have one that he believed the department could fix. It is a hole that has been patched twice but isn't getting any bigger. He plans to dig around it and find out what is wrong.
gwilliams@blythevillecourier.com