A series of contractual decisions at the Seward City Council’s Jan. 20 meeting advanced projects on Hillcrest Drive and in the Rail Campus.
The council approved an amendment to its contract with JEO Consulting Group for design and bidding services on the East Hillcrest Improvement project to blend the two-section project for storm sewer improvements.
City Engineer Mike Oneby said this $34,000 increase will help to prepare bid-ready documents so the sections of East Hillcrest Drive between Eastridge Avenue and the Plum Creek Bridge and between Columbia Avenue and Eastridge Avenue can be addressed at the same time.
He said by joining the two segments of the project the city can better address the storm sewer issues in the area and should lessen the amount of flooding experienced east of Hillcrest and Columbia.
This work will be similar to recent actions taken to address storm sewer overload on the Park Avenue Project and should be ready to bid within 60 days, Oneby said.
The council also approved three actions related to the Worthman Drive Boulevard work underway in the Rail Campus.
First they awarded a construction contract for $396,160 to Van Kirk Brothers Contracting for the water main Phase III project.
Second, they approved a $103,506 agreement with The Schemmer Associates to perform construction engineering for the boulevard’s construction.
Third, they approved a change order with Vrba Construction that reduced the contract price by $19,913 and extended the water main Phase II project by 97 days, which Oneby said was in part due to the complexity of boring under railroad tracks.
Also at the meeting, the council approved the expenditure of $4,300 from the city cemeteries’ perpetual care fund to repair the roof and replace protective parts on the Greenwood Cemetery Belltower.
Public Properties Director Bob Core said the tower runs through the roof of the structure and a leak had developed that resulted in some damage and mold issues. He said there is around $37,000 in interest earned from the perpetual care fund that can support these unbudgeted repairs.
In other action on Jan. 20, the council revised City Engineer Mike Oneby’s title to include street superintendent and Bob Miers’ title to street maintenance director to avoid confusion on their roles with the state and contractors, as well as updating the Wellness Center’s part-time staff pay rates reflecting recent changes in minimum wage.
The council also had two back-to-back executive sessions at the end of their meeting. Both dealt with real estate negotiations and lasted 29 and 28 minutes each.
