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City council awards contracts totaling $950,289 for 2008 flood-related projects
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| Todd Siron power washes the exterior of the George M. Verity Museum in early July after the Flood of 2008. Two contracts were awarded last week for asbestos abatement and painting at the Verity. |
By Steve Dunn/Gate City Managing Editor
The City of Keokuk had at least $950,289 of damage from the Flood of 2008.
On Thursday, the Keokuk City Council awarded eight contracts totalng $950,289 to seven companies for work related to the flood in June.
The largest contract worth $511,366 went to Electric Pump of Des Moines for a storm water pump station project. The Des Moines firm was the only bidder on the project.
Mississippi Valley Company of Keokuk received a $159,630 contract for asbestos abatement at the George M. Verity Museum along the riverfront and another $9,500 contract for painting all of the abated areas.
Another contract worth $97,316 was given to Sammons Construction Company of Keokuk for a building restoration project at the old Ferro Sil office at 2301 Twin Rivers Drive. Other bids were $154,161 by Ames Contracting of Keokuk and $138,119 by Mississippi Valley Company.
Hempen's Mobile Wash Industrial Services, Inc. of Argyle was awarded a $50,175 contract for a storm and sanitary sewer cleaning project. Only one bid was submitted.
Asbestos Science Technologies, LLC of Keokuk was given a $39,350 contract for air monitoring of asbestos abatement at the George M. Verity Museum. Daylight Asbestos of Keokuk bid $55,640.
Another contract of up to $34,000 was awarded to KJWW Engineering Consultants of Rock Island, Ill., for an engineering services agreement for modifications to pumping station 1. No other bids were submitted.
Meyers Driveway & Septic Service of Keokuk received a $33,275 contract for a Mississippi River bank, asphalt sidewalk and crushed stone repair project. Other bids were $34,463 by Sammons Construction Company and $50,400 by Ames Contracting.
Finally, Sammons Construction Company got a $15,675 contract to clean up the Mississippi River bank. Other bids were $42,500 by Meyers Driveway & Septic Services and $61,360 by Ames Contracting.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the city for 90 percent of the cost in each case.
L-Treyns issue
During the workshop preceding the regular meeting, L-Treyns owner Larry Roberts asked why he was told to cut 12 inches off the front roof of his new beer garden and why his outdoor liquor license was delayed three weeks.
“I feel like I'm being harrassed and I've contacted an attorney,” Roberts said.
He didn't know at first the roof was going to hang over the sidewalk by a foot, he explained. Modified trusses caused the problem in his case, he said.
The plans that he showed the city council earlier did not indicate the roof would hang over the sidewalk.
Council member Mark Hoyt expressed concern about water running off the roof onto the sidewalk since the roof has no gutters. To that, Roberts said he wouldn't oppose putting gutters on the roof.
However, Mayor David Gudgel said, “If you grant him a special privilege, I'd prefer you didn't require him to gutter the roof for aesthetic reasons. The contractor really needs to be held accountable for this.”
Gudgel also told Roberts his outdoor liquor license was not held up out of spite.
“For three weeks,” Roberts said, “the liquor license was buried under paper.”
The council approved a Class C liquor license for L. Treyns along with five other licenses and permits on Aug. 7.
Roberts also said he “was talked to like a 2 year old” in the office of Community Development Director Pam Broomhall when he was told the roof at his new beer garden did not meet city code.
The council will hold a special meeting on Thursday to act on Roberts' request for a special privilege. Broomhall asked Roberts Thursday to submit his request by the next day (Friday) since she will be on vacation this week.
On Thursday, the Keokuk City Council awarded eight contracts totalng $950,289 to seven companies for work related to the flood in June.
The largest contract worth $511,366 went to Electric Pump of Des Moines for a storm water pump station project. The Des Moines firm was the only bidder on the project.
Mississippi Valley Company of Keokuk received a $159,630 contract for asbestos abatement at the George M. Verity Museum along the riverfront and another $9,500 contract for painting all of the abated areas.
Another contract worth $97,316 was given to Sammons Construction Company of Keokuk for a building restoration project at the old Ferro Sil office at 2301 Twin Rivers Drive. Other bids were $154,161 by Ames Contracting of Keokuk and $138,119 by Mississippi Valley Company.
Hempen's Mobile Wash Industrial Services, Inc. of Argyle was awarded a $50,175 contract for a storm and sanitary sewer cleaning project. Only one bid was submitted.
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Another contract of up to $34,000 was awarded to KJWW Engineering Consultants of Rock Island, Ill., for an engineering services agreement for modifications to pumping station 1. No other bids were submitted.
Meyers Driveway & Septic Service of Keokuk received a $33,275 contract for a Mississippi River bank, asphalt sidewalk and crushed stone repair project. Other bids were $34,463 by Sammons Construction Company and $50,400 by Ames Contracting.
Finally, Sammons Construction Company got a $15,675 contract to clean up the Mississippi River bank. Other bids were $42,500 by Meyers Driveway & Septic Services and $61,360 by Ames Contracting.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the city for 90 percent of the cost in each case.
L-Treyns issue
During the workshop preceding the regular meeting, L-Treyns owner Larry Roberts asked why he was told to cut 12 inches off the front roof of his new beer garden and why his outdoor liquor license was delayed three weeks.
“I feel like I'm being harrassed and I've contacted an attorney,” Roberts said.
He didn't know at first the roof was going to hang over the sidewalk by a foot, he explained. Modified trusses caused the problem in his case, he said.
The plans that he showed the city council earlier did not indicate the roof would hang over the sidewalk.
Council member Mark Hoyt expressed concern about water running off the roof onto the sidewalk since the roof has no gutters. To that, Roberts said he wouldn't oppose putting gutters on the roof.
However, Mayor David Gudgel said, “If you grant him a special privilege, I'd prefer you didn't require him to gutter the roof for aesthetic reasons. The contractor really needs to be held accountable for this.”
Gudgel also told Roberts his outdoor liquor license was not held up out of spite.
“For three weeks,” Roberts said, “the liquor license was buried under paper.”
The council approved a Class C liquor license for L. Treyns along with five other licenses and permits on Aug. 7.
Roberts also said he “was talked to like a 2 year old” in the office of Community Development Director Pam Broomhall when he was told the roof at his new beer garden did not meet city code.
The council will hold a special meeting on Thursday to act on Roberts' request for a special privilege. Broomhall asked Roberts Thursday to submit his request by the next day (Friday) since she will be on vacation this week.
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| Keokuk restores sidewalk program |
Reader Comments
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Before or after wrote on Sep 8, 2008 5:52 PM:
" Interesting that a contract for asbestos abatement was awarded in the amount of $159,630 and a "monitoring" contract was also issued in the amount of $39,350. This begs several questions! First of all, I will state that as a former contractor and project manager, I am completely familiar with asbestos abatement and the exorbitant expense involved. Question 1; when was it discovered that there was asbestos (frangible?) present in the Verity? Question 2; was this before or after work crews began working there? (According to the caption attributed to the photo, a worker was pressure washing the Verity in early July without any sort of protection/respiratory device. Question 3; Given my understanding ( of which I will later elaborate) of asbestos abatement, the folks charged with the actual abatement have very, very, very, stringent regulations to adhere to in order to be licensed to do such work...this by way of our friends at the EPA. This begs the question, if we have a contractor licensed to perform this work, why the need of a separate contract in excess of $39,000 to monitor what is ostensibly work being done by an EPA certified contractor? This whole thing sounds fishy, and I am of the opinion that someone has dropped the ball at the start and is now playing "CYA". Back to the bona fide's with asbestos...I have not only acquaintences but lifelong friends involved in this business, and at one point I had a colleague who owned and operated an abatement company. It is not not too far-fetched to see a bad situation happening here...I am sure anyone who has a television has seen the ambulance chasers soliciting class action signatories for Mesothilioma. Personally, I worked for an outfit (what used to be Great Western Bank) that by default inherited a lot of property in Florida due to receivership...one of which I worked at onsite, and we were not even allowed to cut a hole in drywall due to the presence of asbestos! Of course banks, management companies, and insurance companies are much more enlightened in the possible ramifications of these situations...I wonder if municipalities are just as wary.
C.J. Parrack "
C.J. Parrack "
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Faye wrote on Sep 8, 2008 6:30 PM: