City looks to save money on the courthouse, will seek volunteers and DPW to peform some tasks
There was discussion at Monday’s Onaway City Commission about ways to save money but not jeopardize the safety of the DPW staff. As winter sets in and the temperature dips down, heating bills at the 96-year-old courthouse continue to rise and city manager Joe Hefele believes it’s imperative that insulation is installed as soon as possible. Hefele went before the board to seek their input on having the DPW complete the task before the holidays.
“Whether we use spray-in, or roll-out insulation, Clayton feels comfortable that the DPW can do this job,” stated Hefele in his report to the commission. ” DPW director Clayton Dunn, who attended the meeting, both as a general visit and to discuss the issue, is confident that his staff can complete the job in a safe manner. He pointed out that the DPW has been in the attic of the courthouse many times.
“The different things that we do, we do run the risk of having something happen,” said Dunn. “Joe approached me and wanted to know if we could do that, and yes, I feel that we can do that and save the city some money.”
HEFELE SAID funds are tight and he’s been looking at different tasks that could be done by either volunteers or the DPW “to save on the mark up, and get the best bang for our buck. “We’ve already exceeded the budget for phase one, which is okay, because there is plenty of money in donations.” Hefele said the next phase would more than likely be over budget and he would like some of the donations available for that part of the project, if possible. Commissioner Bernie Schmeltzer said a firm with specialized equipment could be brought in, but it would be more costly. The debate continued to focus on the safety concerns for the DPW and not the dollars. Dunn told the board his staff faces varying degrees of danger on a daily basis. “We run across a safety risk, all week long,” said Dunn.
“We’re concerned about your safety Clayton,” said commissioner Jessie Palmer. “One wrong step and your done for.” Dunn said installing the insulation is less of a risk than standing on top of the city water tower, which the DPW has to do on occasion. There were no objections to the DPW performing the job.
WORK IS WRAPPING up on the current phase of the courthouse restoration project. The contractor has received a punch list of miscellaneous items that must be completed before the job can be closed out. A meeting has been scheduled for December 14. At that time, the contractor will take the city through the electrical/mechanical items installed. That should close out this phase of the job, other than the installation of the last few windows, and cleanup by the window installer. This paves the way for the next phase to begin. A mandatory pre-bid walk-through was conducted December 1. All contractors planning to submit bids on the project were required to be in attendance at the walk-through. A handful of contractors were there, including Mann Construction, which did the USDA-RD phase, and DeVere Construction, which was a close second in the prior bidding process. Sealed bids are to be received at city hall no later than 2 p.m. on December 14.
IN OTHER matters to come before the board: o The VFW received permission to host a snowmobile safety school at Maxon Field. Wayne Francisco from Canada Creek
Most other yards had weeds and/or bald spots to a lesser extent, but grass seemed to be coming in, Hefele said. o The next meeting will be December 20 at 5:30 p.m.