DESLOGE — For the second consecutive board of aldermen meeting, an ordinance that would hire a contractor for Phase Two of Desloge’s water system was tabled. The measure was tabled at Monday’s meeting because the board lacked a majority vote for it to pass. Aldermen Robert Hulsey and Chris Gremminger were absent from the meeting and Alderman Jerry Hulsey abstained from the vote due to a work conflict. Hulsey is employed by the Park Hills Water Department and has made it a standard practice to abstain from votes dealing with the water system.

A special meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 17 to discuss the ordinance again. The drafted ordinance called for the board to hire Unnerstall Contracting at a cost of $1,982,808 for the underground work of the project. A drafted ordinance was not available for the above-ground tank.

The board did pass an ordinance that authorizes negotiations to begin with Metropolitan Engineering for engineering services for the Cantwell Neighborhood Connector Trail. Several engineering firms submitted their qualifications to the board for consideration.

“At this stage we will begin negotiating a contract with Metropolitan for the engineering work,” said City Administrator Greg Camp. “After we have a contract we will submit it to MoDOT for approval. As long as MoDOT approves the contract, we will then proceed with preparing bid packets for the trail.”

Camp said Metropolitan Engineering could not submit a bid with its qualifications for the engineering work due to MoDOT’s procedures.

The board passed two ordinances dealing with the wastewater billing agreement with Park Hills.

Camp said the ordinances were necessary to clean up some of the legal language in the previous wastewater billing agreement ordinance.

The board also approved a contract with Aramark for floor rug service at city hall, the police station and the library.

A letter from Desloge’s city attorney Bill Reaves was reviewed pertaining to the Washington Street reconstruction. After reviewing the letter the board directed Camp to get bids for the reconstruction of the north end of the street.

Mineral Area College Vice-President Gil Kennon addressed the board concerning the college’s April 8 bond issue. The bond issue would allow the UniTec Career Center to move from the North County School District to the MAC campus.

“Construction of the proposed 100,000 square feet facility will cost approximately $16 million,” Kennon said. “Of that we have $8 million earmarked in state funds. The other $8 million would be paid for by the bonds. The timing seems to be right to make this change. North County needs additional space and has said it would use the existing UniTec building as a freshmen center. The new proposed facility would not only house UniTec, but also the health career programs we offer at MAC.”

Kennon said the proposal has received widespread support, including resolutions of support from the current UniTec faculty and from all of the schools that send students to UniTec.

After Kennon’s presentation the board passed a resolution in support of MAC’s bond proposal.

Chris Cline is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at 573-431-2010, ext. 114 or at ccline@dailyjournalonline.com.

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