City needs $3.6M for utility project
By Miranda Rogers
POST-REGISTER
Relocating utilities in connection with the upcoming US Highway 183 Expansion Project will cost even more than the City originally expected.
During their regular meeting on Tuesday, the City Council approved resubmission of an Application for Financial Assistance to the State Infrastructure Bank. The c
hange will increase the loan amount from $3.1 million to $3.6 million.
According to City Manager Vance Rodgers, the funding is necessary for the relocation of wastewater and electrical utilities in preparation for the multimillion dollar expansion project.
City staff will provide additional information on the status of the application during the next meeting, and expects the funds to be available, at a substantially lower interest rate, in 60 days.
In other news, Cowan Plumbing, of Lockhart, will complete the plumbing work required for the Clark Library, Phase II project for an amount not to exceed $54,000. Cowan Plumbing submitted a bid of $54,000, but also provided value engineering reductions for consideration in the amount of $10,223.22. The only other bid, from Fox- Hearn, was in the amount of $52,000, but with no reductions.
Also receiving a bid for work for the Clark Library Phase II expansion project is Kentex Roofing Systems, LLC, of Austin. The bid is in the amount of $25,470 and will include supervision, labor, equipment and materials.
Alberto E. Martinez will complete the window repairs as specified for the Clark Library, in an amount not to exceed $40,694. Original bid requests required the contractor to provide all materials, labor and equipment, but were rejected because the bids were too high. Martinez will be able to start immediately, and all materials and the lift crane will be provided by the City of Lockhart through the CMAR (Construction Manager at Risk).
Hopson Builders, Inc., of San Marcos, will be installing structural steel supports per specification for the Clark Library in the amount of $49,892. Equipment will be provided by the City of Lockhart. The original design involved cutting a hole in the roof for the installation, but the City is now reworking the plans to bring the beams in through the windows. Closure of the Library and surrounding streets will be advertised well in advance, and is predicted to last two days.
The City of Lockhart received a financial audit by Alonzo, Bacarisse, Irvine and Palmer, PC, for the Fiscal Year 2011-2012. The firm’s presentation was an analysis and narrative summary of government funds, primary funds, and utility funds.
As a result of their Memorandum of Understanding with Seton, a Community Advisory Board is being created to work in connection with Seton Family of Hospitals in the management of Lockhart/Caldwell County EMS. The council will be appointing Rodgers, along with one member of the community, to serve on that advisory board. Although no local applicants have yet been considered by the council, it is believes that Seton has their recommendations in place.
The board, which is intended to ensure quality and utilization of the emergency medical services provided by Seton and evaluate operations, will likely meet monthly at the start, and then have quarterly meetings to review circumstances as they occur.
The Lockhart City Council historically meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Glosserman Conference Room of Lockhart City Hall. The meetings are open to the public and televised on Time Warner Digital Cable Channel 10.
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