The Minonk City Council decided to rebid the downtown plaza project after City Administrator Gary Brennan revised the specifications for the project. The original low bid on the project was $93,869 which exceeded the budgeted amount of $85,000 set aside for the project.
The original specs on the proposed plaza at the northwest corner of Fifth and Chestnut included colored concrete and stacked block walls. The City Administrator changed the specs to eliminate the colored concrete which will still be stamped with a stone pattern in some areas and brick in other areas. Other changes were to replace the stacked block retaining walls with poured concrete walls which will have a pattern stamped in. Also, the entry sidewalks were reduced from 10 to 8 feet in width and the laying of sod was eliminated.
The redesign was estimated to reduce the cost of the project to $86,173 which is slightly above the budgeted $85,000. The plaza project will be rebid with the revised design and hopefully the bids will come in under budget. The project includes landscaping costs of $12,000 in addition to the concrete work.
TIF grant to Justcore Concrete
The council approved a TIF grant of $6800 to JustCore Concrete for facade improvement to the firm's building in the 200 block of East Fifth Street. The amount represents 50% of the project cost of $13,600 and will be payable in one lump sum.
The improvements include new garage doors, exterior lights and doors, awning repairs, windows and fixtures.
Tree program
Mayor Bill Koos asked City Administrator Gary Brennan to come up with a schematic of the city's berms on which trees can be planted. Brennan said trees cannot be planted where water or sewer lines are located but there are plenty of berms without those lines. Mayor Koos said he wants to get some trees planted this fall before the weather changes. Along with the berm layout, Brennan is going to come up with a list of tree varieties for planting for the next council meeting.
In other business, City Administrator Brennan said the area in which the old police station was torn down will be covered with gravel during the winter and will be resurfaced in the spring at an estimated cost of $8000.
Councilwoman Julie Redenius said the refrigerator at the West Side Park Pavilion has frayed wires and must be replaced. She said the freezer is also rusting out and needs to be replaced. Mayor Koos said the council should look into replacing the appliances. City Administrator Brennan said the condition of the pavilion should checked before and after use to make sure the pavilion is not being abused.
Public comments
Reporter Dave Uphoff asked the council to consider using volunteers to help construct the downtown plaza to reduce costs. Uphoff said volunteers laid sod and planted trees when constructing the West Side Park Pavilion. Uphoff also added that a deposit should be required of those who use the pavilion for special occasions to ensure that the pavilion is not being abused.