The Perryville Board of Aldermen approved the purchase of an impound shed for $149,099 from American Buildings Company at its May 18 meeting. This was later followed by a lengthy discussion on where the materials would be coming from and the city’s bid process, though the aldermen didn’t change their earlier decision.
The building size is 70-by-100 feet and includes a special configuration that will make the structure expandable, if the city chooses to go that route in the future.
The initial approval didn’t include much discussion. However, when city administrator Brent Buerck asked the board for its color preference, the bid process for the building was further scrutinized.
“One thing that bothers me is we’re letting an engineer go out and get bids for something that we don’t know who he is getting it from, maybe his cousin owns this place, you know,” said alderman Tom Guth.
Three color options were given for the building: gray/blue, gray/red and gray/dark gray. The consensus of the board was to go with the gray/dark gray option.
“We gave you a couple of ifferent color options for that building you approved earlier,” said city administrator Brent Buerck. “You guys tell us what you want, and that’s what we’ll do.”
Guth initially suggested going with the dark gray coloration for the structure, which will include two bays for police use and three spots reserved for fire equipment.
“If we wait, we’ll see an increase on the steel prices,” said Brent Buerck. “At this point, this building is going.”
The building will be constructed near the city’s public works site, east of Highway 61.
Brent Buerck said the city owns an estimated three acres, and the building supplies will be stored on site until the structure is built.
Brent Buerck said it will take at least six months to deliver the material.
“It needs to be out of the weather,” Hudson said.
“Buy the tin now,” Curt Buerck said.
The aldermen were divided on whether or not to include the wainscot finish on the front of the structure.
“It makes it looks nicer, but that’s just my opinion,” said assistant fire chief Bill Jones.
If not ordered before the end of May, they are expecting a significant increase, according to Brent Buerck.
The supplier, American Buildings Company, is from El Paso, Ill.
“This is the construction management approach that we took,” Brent Buerck said. “It’s not the same as a normal process.”
Matt Zoellner of Zoellner Construction prepared the bid documents for the city in what was referred as the “Perryville impound” facility.
“The other option is to just do a design, bid build like normal, if that’s what the board wants, but realize the risk was, as we discussed, there was going to be a significant increase in steel,” Brent Buerck said. “We’ll do it however you guys would like to do.”
Brent Buerck reiterated the cost approved by the board was for materials only, as construction and labor costs has yet to be determined.
“It’s the building in a box,” he said. “We’ll pay a different contractor to put it up.