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LEESBURG - The additions to the Leesburg Town Hall will have to be publicly bid instead of the town council just choosing a contractor.
During the council meeting Monday night, President Tom Moore told town attorney Vern Landis that three bids for the project came in and all were above the threshold set by the state.
“So we need to educate ourselves about that process and get dates set to receive the bids,” Moore said. Landis agreed, saying he had to go back and look at the state statute again.
“I was hoping we wouldn’t have to do that. I knew it was going to be close. It wasn’t as close as I thought it might,” Landis said.
Moore said the increase in projections over the last six months in construction and material costs had a lot to do with that.
“So we will need to go to the public bid process,” Moore said, explaining that “there’s a monetary threshold. If you don’t exceed that, then you can select your bidders. You still have to have multiple bidders, but we can select the bidder, but they’re over the threshold, so now we have to go through the public bid system, the process.”
The threshold is $150,000, he said.
If it was below that, there would still need to be three bidders, but the council could just choose one. Over that amount, he said it’s required to go to a public bid process. “All that means is, you’re going to have a posting in the newspapers … and contractors have until a certain date to get those bids submitted,” Moore said.
He guessed the same companies would resubmit bids. Landis said that was more than likely, and another one or two may bid.
At its April meeting, the council approved using money from its Economic Development Income Tax fund to renovate the old town hall and make it handicapped accessible. By the end of this year, the EDIT fund should have a balance of about $317,000, the council heard at its April meeting. Changes to the building also include constructing an adjoining meeting room, two restrooms on the ground level and some office renovations.
The building at the corner of Van Buren and Pearl streets was first used as a town hall in 1936, but is not accessible by a wheelchair. The council has been meeting in the Plain Township building until improvements are made.
In other business, the council discussed whether to renew its current garbage contract with Advanced Disposal, Claypool or seek other bids.
“Probably should take some bids, should we not?” Councilman Doug Jones asked. The contract with Advanced Disposal was for three years.
Councilwoman Christina Archer said Advanced Disposal was willing to keep its rates the same for the next two years and wanted a three-year contract.
Street Commission Craig Charlton told the council that Advanced Disposal already has its stuff in place and was very good at bringing new totes, which is a cost savings.
Archer said, “Just as a homeowner, I’ve been very pleased with the services this company offers.” She said she also appreciated the fact that Advanced Disposal doesn’t give her a lot of trouble in the rare circumstances that she has extra bags of trash.
“They’re pretty easy to work with,” Moore agreed.
“My initial inclination is to always get bids on stuff, but I agree, and we have had very minimal problems. And when we’ve had problems, they’re easy to work with. Giving that they’re willing to do it for the same contract, I’ll make a motion - I’ve kind of changed my mind - we just go ahead and accept that contract as it was presented to us,” Jones said.
The garbage contract was unanimously approved.
In a last bit of business, housemates Michael VanOsdol, Larry Rose and Bill Poe told the council they purchased the property at 109 Van Buren St., which is next to their house. “We’re wanting to get the approval of the town to combine the lots and vacate the alley,” Poe said.
Landis said they need to file a written request or petition to vacate the alley. Moore said there’s a little bit of a process involved, including checking where the utilities are and checking with the fire department to make sure it was OK with the vacation.
Jones said the town council couldn’t combine the lots, that was a county issue. Moore said “that is their issue,” but they needed the town’s permission before they could approach the county about it. Poe said they would need a letter of approval from the town to take to the county.
The vacating of the alley has to be done with an ordinance.
Charlton said he didn’t see any problem with the vacation from the standpoint of snowplowing or the fire department. Moore suggested the three housemates go and draft their petition as no one at the council meeting had any objective to their plans. Landis told them that once their petition was ready, they had to give it to Clerk-Treasurer Mike Searfross, and there would have to be a public hearing on the vacation, which has to be advertised in the newspaper.
“Because we’re closing, in effect, a public thoroughfare, so the public has a right to speak, the pro or the con,” Moore said.
Rose said they wanted to combine the two lots to make it easier down the road for an easier resale.
The next regularly scheduled council is at 6:30 p.m. July 9 at the same location.
The 2019 budget workshop was set for 6:30 p.m. July 17 at the Plain Township building.
