DEXTER — The Dexter Board of Aldermen repealed an earlier ordinance Monday night awarding its sidewalk project to Hessling Construction of Dexter after its bid was rejected by the Missouri Department of Transportation due to a bid irregularity.
During its regular meeting, the board voted 4-0 to approve accepting the next lowest bidder — Mike Light Cement Finishing Inc. — for the TAP (Transportation Alternative Program) project.
With a bid of $256,872.75, the Perryville company was one of nine competing for the West Park/Arvin Road walking trail project. The company’s bid reportedly is below the engineer’s final estimate.
The board had accepted Hessling’s Construction bid of $249,178.87 at its Jan. 7 meeting.
“It turns out the project … there was a problem with the paperwork that the low bidder turned in,” explained City Attorney Yewell Lawrence Jr. “We talked to the state. The state is advising we couldn’t accept it.
“It was just a clerical error. … The bond amount that was turned in was less than was required. (The state is) really picky about that.”
After the contract was awarded to Hessling in January, “it went to the state … they said (the company) didn’t have the correct bond,” explained City Administrator Mark Stidham. “I got a hold of the contractor; he said I do have the correct bond.
“It was dated prior … but he didn’t turn in the proper paperwork.”
The aldermen also unanimously approved an ordinance amending the city’s budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, as related to the library.
“When you make a budget, you can’t foresee everything that is going to happen, so you amend it from time to time,” Lawrence said.
The amended changes reflect additional receipts and disbursements relating to the library expansion project, including a recent donation of about $131,000.
The expansion project, Stidham said, was not included when the city completed its budget in June.
“Mr. Keller came to us in September/October,” saying he would like to make a donation to the library, Stidham said.
Since that time, “we were going in a deficit,” Stidham said. “We did not show in our budget, anywhere on here, a library expansion,” but the bills were being paid from city funds.
“We were running out of money because we didn’t put any money in there,” Stidham said. “ … Capital expenditures, I put $5,000 in there to buy some computers … . As of December, we spent $72,000. (The city’s) already in the hole $67,000.”
The board’s action, Stidham said, basically cleans up the city’s books with regard to the project.
The board again amended the city’s code as it relates to cable TV franchising fees.
At a special meeting in January, the board had voted for the 5-percent fee to now include telephone and internet services.
The amendment was made to Chapter 630, which is the city’s gross receipts, specially section 630.060.
“The new cable company, they did not like the way it read,” Lawrence said. City officials agreed to clarify the code.
NewWave Communications personnel indicated some of their customers who have internet, telephone and cable would be “hit triple,” as they would be charged 5 percent for each service.
“They said it’s unfair because (their) people are going to be paying 15 percent,” Stidham said. “ … That’s not what we mean,” as the telephone is covered in section 630.010 in the city’s code.
“Their lawyers couldn’t figure it out,” so telephone and internet services were removed from section 630.060, he said.
The end result, Lawrence said, is “exactly what we intended.”
In other business, the board unanimously approved the reappointment of Mark Becker to the Planning & Zoning Commission for a four-year term and the allocation of $10,000 to the tourism committee for marketing of the 2019 Rib City Classic.
Aldermen Jerry Conder and Frank Killian were absent.