On October 10, the Gallatin Board of Aldermen approved a bid for the sale of a bucket truck. Viking Valley’s bid was $18,000 for the 1994 Chevrolet Kodiak Bucket Truck, the highest of two bids. The competing bid was $10,051.
City Administrator Lance Rains consulted Glenn Price of the Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association and learned that insurance would cover only half of the old firehouse roof’s repair costs. Rains urged the board to consider reroofing the entire structure, noting that the other half also requires repair. The board concurred with Rains’ suggestion and he will present bids at the upcoming meeting.
Additionally, Rains proposed sending city employees Johnathan Hobbs and Ira Sloan to lineman school. This matter was postponed until the next board meeting.
A discussion on tree trimming was also postponed since the bids did not adhere to a predetermined budget of $20,000.
Rains mentioned an imminent city-wide cleanup, a joint effort between volunteers and Main Street Gallatin. The Community Cleanup Week is scheduled for October 16-23. A dumpster will be stationed at the old water tower lot behind Elbert’s Department Store.
Dan O’Donnell from Metro Asphalt briefed the board on the Community Development Block Grant street project. He emphasized the influence of night and daytime temperatures on asphalt quality. Expressing concerns about the asphalt cooling during transportation from the plant to the project site, O’Donnel anticipates a project commencement in mid-May or June 2024.
Rains reached out to Clint Bird of the township and Presiding Commissioner Jim Ruse to discuss the potential purchase of cold mix for their segment of West Grant Street. He suggested that if they procured the cold mix, Gallatin street teams would handle the pothole repairs, as Gallatin hasn’t allocated funds for areas outside city ownership.
Recent activities of the street staff include pothole patching around the city and sealing cracks on some of the better-maintained roads to prolong their lifespan.
The water staff addressed a few leaks and meter sets, and it was reported that an eight-inch main had split on homecoming day. The team worked tirelessly until the issue was resolved that evening.
Agreements will be finalized with Total H2O Solution regarding the Lead Survey Grant.
The wastewater facility is reportedly functioning well, with plans to assess a bar screen upgrade in the future.
The Missouri Public Utility Alliance has collaborated with Gallatin, transitioning the 2400 system with assistance from city staff. The city currently has about 15 properties disconnected from the Delta System.
Recent incidents include squirrels causing transformer breakers to blow. The staff also identified some utility poles in need of realignment.
It’s important to highlight that some tree-trimming bids did not meet the specifications outlined in the bid documents.
