V. Hugh Lewis II/Jefferson Jimplecute
Street repaving is on the way after Tuesday night’s Jefferson City Council meeting.
Aldermen approved the recommendation of Schaumburg & Polk (SPI), the City’s engineering firm, for Lone Star Equipment Company, Inc., to perform the 2021 street repaving project. Lone Star submitted the low bid of $425,349 for the project.
SPI provided a technical recommendation, but expressed some concerns over the workload Lone Star has taken on recently.
“They are capable of doing the work, and they will come to town and do it,” said SPI Project Manager Jeremy Buechter. “But they may require some hand-holding. It depends, as with most contractors, on the crew they bring to town. I’d just say be patient with this contractor.”
Ward 1 Alderman David Westbrook expressed concerns over notification of residents of the work.
“I’d like this company to be able to tell residents with a tag on the door that they’ll be paving so they have the opportunity to at least park their car at the other end of the street,” said Westbrook. “I think we need to give them a heads up.”
“We need to over communicate this to the community,” said Mayor Rob Baker.
“Typically there’s a 48-hour notice to city hall for emergency vehicles and a 24-hour door hanger notification to homeowners,” said Buetcher. “But, I’d like to remind everyone that several of these streets will be milled up, add cement mix to it, then lay it back down. It will be drivable afterwards, but not paved until it packs down.” Buetcher added that it could be 3-5 days before paving occurs on those streets.
In a rare split council vote, Baker was required to cast a vote. Ward 3 Alderman Victor Perot and Ward 2 Alderman Gary Amburn voted against awarding the bid to LS Equipment. Westbrook abstained from voting. Ward 2 Alderman Tyrani Braddock and Ward 1 Alderman Jim Finstrom voted to approve.
“Because I think we owe it to the citizens to move this forward and get this done, I’m going to approve LS Equipment for the bid,” said Baker.
The City’s drainage project, funded by a GLO grant, was also awarded Tuesday. David Lawler Construction, who performed the City’s recent water/sewer project, was awarded the bid at a cost of $2,098,810. The bid was awarded with a 3-2 vote with Perot, Amburn, and Finstrom voting for, and Braddock and Westbrook opposed.
Both projects should start in the immediate future, but a timeline was not been presented during the meeting. Baker said he plans on providing information to the Jimplecute as soon as it’s available so the community can be informed in advance of the work schedules.
The City’s Consent Agenda required some revisions based on errors in the meeting notice regarding which quarterly revenue and budget reports were being approved, as well as a date mistake for a street closure requested by the Marion County Judge. Those items will be on the next agenda for approval.
Other items on the Consent Agenda which were approved included
• adding street closure on. June 5 of Vale from Dallas to Lafayette to the Big Cypress Corvette Weekend
• Closing Dallas Street from Polk to Vale streets from noon until 5 p.m. on April 27 for a large sod delivery for the newly renovated courthouse
• changing the name on a Building Permit approved on March 16. The change was from Alan Ponder to Richard Alan Ponder Investment Trust
• Approved the hiring of Mary Ayala from Cadet to a Jefferson Police Officer and associated pay increase to $34,000 annually. Ayala graduated from the Kilgore Police Academy on April 15, 2021
“And in most importantly, on my part, is to consider and approve the hiring and promotion of Mary Ayala from Cadet to full Police Officer,” said Baker.
In other business Council approved additional $2,500 in funding for the Jefferson Salutes America event on July 4 to assist with the fireworks show. The city budgets $5,000 each year, but Baker said event coordinators Scott and Missy Baldwin had indicated COVID had deeply impacted their fundraising for this year. Council approved the additional $2,500 to be taken from the City’s Administration payroll account as a City Administrator is funded yet not hired so far this year.
Council sold an alleyway between Lots 9 and 10 in Block 65 of the Alley Addition to Jacques Jaubert and Lisa Hickok. They currently own the lots on either side of the alleyway.
Jim McIntosh was nominated as a candidate to represent the City on the Marion Central Appraisal District (MCAD) Board of Directors. Bob Avery had represented the City until he resigned earlier this year.
Additional building permits were approved for Wayne Smith to build two duplexes on N. Main Street across from Oakwood Cemetery, and for James Souter to remodel the home at 520 N. Walnut Street.
Baker formalized a proclamation declaring April at Sexual Assault Awareness month (SAAM) in cooperation with the Women’s Center of East Texas. The County also made a similar proclamation earlier this month.
Lastly, Council approved Event Permits, along with street closures, for the Annual Pilgrimage Parade on May 1; the Battle of Big Cypress Bayou from June 4-6. A portion of Dallas and Polk streets will be close don June 5 for a short period of time for the Battle. The Pilgrimage parade will begin at Lions Park, travel to Market, then to Austin, and out Polk Street.
Council held a brief Executive Session at the end of the meeting, but took no action when returning.