Council accepts bid on roads project

City of Sidney City Council members chose Paul Reed Construction & Supply for the Illinois and 14th Avenue Street Improvement Project this Tuesday night.

Donald Dye with M.C. Schaff & Associates, Inc. told council members that two bids had been received by the city.

Paul Reed Construction & Supply bid $710,962.89 for the project, Nienhueser Construction bid $843,925.25, and the engineer’s estimate fell at $731,512.50, according to Dye.

Paul Reed Construction was Dye’s recommendation.

Construction is set to start June 15 and to be completed September 30.

“It’s a phase construction project where Highway 30 will be open at all times,” said Dye.

He noted that it would take approximately 105 calendar days for substantial completion and approximately 120 for clean up and final completion.

Also discussed at the council meeting was the definition of “vehicles” in city ordinances.

Council member Roger Gallaway said that he had had a conversation that afternoon with city attorney J. Leef regarding the definition.

“When it says ‘regardless of the means by which a vehicle is propelled’ she thought it might be more beneficial just to say instead ‘and which is self-propelled,’” said Gallaway.

“A minor difference but the way it was stated might be too broad and might include trailers,” he said.

“In one part of the ordinance we talk about using a definition for vehicles but in another part of the ordinance we talk about motor vehicles as a definition,” continued Gallaway. “It might be wise to make sure the two definitions are consistent with each other.”

Mayor Wendall Gaston asked whether all vehicles were required to have a license.

Discussion on the ordinance was moved to be continued to a third reading, and it was decided vehicle licensing would be clarified.

Council members also approved a supplemental agreement for the 10th Avenue Federal Aid Road Project and a supplemental agreement for the Fort Sidney Road Federal Aid Road Project.

“Some projects have had major escalation from their original estimate. Others have been very close to it,” said City of Sidney Public Services Director John Hehnke.

“This is to keep our project moving forward,” he said.

Hehnke said that 20 percent of the funds for the project would be provided by the city and 80 percent by the federal government.

There was also discussion at the council meeting of going paperless with council packets.

Instead of multiple packets of documents, the council members would each have an iPad or look at the documents from their computer.

“Many government entities have gone this route and are making it work quite efficiently,” said city manager, Gary Person.

Council member Mark Nienhueser said that he wanted to make sure that the public would still be able to view the public documents.

Gallaway said that since sometimes there are multiple updates to the documents before the meetings, instead of having to print off more papers and send out more revised documents, it would make updating things electronic and much easier.

He also noted that the programs included important features, like a return on investment calculator.

Person also said that instead of taking approximately eight to 10 hours to get all the papers completed correctly, electronically, it could take only an hour for city officials.

Council member Chris Gay said he liked the idea because it would be easier then having to shift through four packets of papers on his desk at work.

“We are just at a new generation where government is going,” said Person.

Nienhueser wanted to ask the city attorney, who was absent from the meeting, about using personal devices.

“If we download city information on our personal laptop or tablets, the rest of the information on our machines is not subject to be disclosed for legal reasons?” he asked.

Nienhueser also suggested that if a new board member joins and cannot afford an iPad or doesn’t want to use one, accommodations should be made for them.