Published: September 16, 2008 09:44 am      

Rossville rejects water project bids

Proposals higher than engineer’s estimates

ROSSVILLE — At Monday night’s meeting, the Rossville Village Board voted to reject all bids for the new water treatment plant and rebid the project. The three bids received ranged from 43 percent to 100 percent more than the engineer’s estimate.

The village had received bids from McDowell Builders of Sidell for $945,746, Thieneman Construction of Crown Point, Ind., for $$984,960 and A&R Mechanical of Urbana for $787,863.

The village’s engineering firm, Sodemann and Associates of Champaign, had estimated the treatment plant would cost $551,000.

Last week, the village received a CDAP grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for $350,000 to be used for toward the construction of the new water treatment plant.

Mayor Terry Prillaman told board members he believed it would take about 90 days to rebid the project.

Also on Monday night, the board tabled action on the payment of an additional $8,000 to Five Star Roofing, the firm that is re-roofing the village-owned downtown buildings. Five Star inadvertently tore off more roof than was specified in the roofing contract and is seeking to have the village pay for the replacement cost of the torn off roof.

The board did agree to pay Five Star an additional $1,600 for replacement of additional trusses that were rotten.

In other board action, trustees:

-- Approved keeping all village officials compensation the same. Currently trustees receive $50 per month, the clerk receives $200 per month and the mayor receives $250 per month.

-- Heard Prillaman proclaim Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week and Sept. 17 as Citizen Day.

-- Tabled action on a golf cart ordinance pending approval by the Illinois Department of Transportation for designated golf cart crossing zones on Chicago Street (Illinois Route 1).

-- Accepted the fiscal year 2008 annual audit as performed by Crowder CPA of Danville.

-- Heard Trustee Tom Gregory propose an ordinance be enacted to require building owners have liability insurance to ensure building owners are able to pay for damage to surrounding buildings and clean up costs in case of a fire or other disaster. Prillaman told the board he would have the village attorney research the matter.

-- Heard a request from Trustee Dick Queen for the Rossville Community Organization to block off East Attica Street from the stoplight to Harrison Street for a carnival to during the Christmas celebration weekend. The board took no formal action on the request but did voice general support of Queen’s proposal.

-- Approved another request by Queen to block off Chicago Street from Maple Street to the high school for the Halloween parade between 10-10:30 a.m. Oct. 25. The Halloween parade is sponsored by the RCO. The board granted approval for this request.

-- Learned no bids were received for the used police car.

UP NEXT

The Rossville Village Board will meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 in the village office.