DEXTER — The Dexter Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Monday night to award the contracts for the city’s two walking trail/sidewalk projects.
Both are phase one projects being funded through Missouri Department of Transportation grants, with a 20 percent match from the city.
For its STP (Surface Transportation Program) project, which is the One Mile Road sidewalk project, the city received six bids.
The project, according to City Administrator Mark Stidham, starts at the railroad tracks, “crosses and goes all the way to First Midwest Bank area.
“We’ve been talking about this for a some time.”
Stidham described One Mile Road as the most traveled road in Dexter, with pedestrians walking along it day and night.
In a 5-0 vote, the board awarded the contract to the low bidder, Lappe Cement Finishing Inc. in Freidheim. It’s bid was $253,003.87.
Lappe, Stidham said, has 180 days to complete the project.
Once the ordinance is passed, “we’ll meet with MoDOT … in about a month, we’ll set up a construction meeting,” said Dominic Thompson with Smith & Co. “… Hopefully, they’re starting sometime in March.
“They have 180 days after the initial date” construction begins.
Stidham said officials knew the chosen contractor would not be doing any construction in January or February due to the weather.
“If they start in January, and they lose too much (time) for bad weather, then they’ll be under the gun,” Stidham said.
According to Stidham, the city is allocated $34,000 “based on our population, and we’re allocating that to the sidewalk project on One Mile.”
Other bids were submitted by: Kluesner Construction, Kelso, $266.507.90; Nip Kelly Equipment Co. Inc., Cape Girardeau, $268,698.90; Joe’s Bridge and Grading, Poplar Bluff, $298,448.25; C.E. Contracting, Ste. Genevieve, $319,735.40; and R.L. Persons Construction Inc., Poplar Bluff, $336,999.
Stidham said a “local contractor” was the low bidder for the city’s trail project. The TAP (Transportation Alternative Program) project is the West Park/Arvin Road walking trail project.
That low bidder being awarded the contract was Hessling Construction in Dexter. It’s bid was $249,178.87.
“Again, it’s the same thing; a 180 days from the day they start,” Stidham explained. “We’ll pass the ordinance … send a letter to MoDOT and then we’ll have a preconstruction conference.”
Thompson said he expects Hessling will start work at about the same time as Lappe.
Hessling was one of nine submitting bids for the TAP project.
Other bids were submitted by: Joe’s Bridge and Grading, $286.980.60; C.E. Contracting, $292,877.60; Kluesner Construction, $259,632.25; Nip Kelley Equipment, $269,322; Samron Midwest Contracting, Murphysboro, Ill., $278,796; Mike Light Cement Finishing, Perryville, $288,787.44; and R.L. Persons, $289,999.
A public hearing regarding the rezoning of an area near Highway 25 and Stoddard from light industrial district to highway commercial district also was held. No one appeared in opposition to the rezoning.
The area to be rezone reportedly is described as an empty lot, located south of Jane Street, east of Highway 35 and west of South Second Street. It also includes the south portion of Jane Street.
At the board’s December meeting, the aldermen voted to abandoned Jane Street, an undeveloped street, in the first step toward possible future development.
“We have the rezoning of the property … part of it is zoned I-1 (light industrial) and the other part is C-2,” Stidham said. “They want all of it C-2.”
The rezoning, he said, already had gone before the Planning and Zoning board.
The board unanimously approved an ordinance rezoning the property.
In her report, Parks & Recreation Director Jamie Rowe told the aldermen the city had been approved for phase two of the TAP grant.
Phase two, she said, will run from One Mile Road to Sycamore Street and then down to Arvin Road.
The project was selected to receive federal funding of $368,848. The total project cost is $576.325.
Stidham said the city’s match for phase two will be 36 percent as compared to its 20-percent match on phase one.
Engineering and survey work, as well as the relocating of some utilities, will have be completed before
“a package” is submitted to MoDOT for its approval, Stidham said.
The project reportedly can’t be put out for bid until after it receives MoDOT’s approval.
Alderman Jerry Corder was absent from Monday night’s meeting.