Aldermen approve purchase of storage shed

Posted

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.

“I wouldn’t build nothing right now,” Alderman Curt Buerck said. “I tell everybody, ‘You wanna build, you better have a bank for a back pocket.’”
“We’re just at a different time right now guys where we’re unsure about the price, that’s why we made the decision we made in the first place,” Martin said.
Later, Curt Buerck suggested getting a bid from this area.
“I’d like to put it out and see what the locals could do for us, personally speaking,” Buerck said.
“I want to keep the purchase that we have in place right now but if the majority wants to go the other way, I’ll be OK with that,” Alderman Dennis Martin said.
“Put it out to locals and see what they can do,” Curt Buerck said.
“The question is we don’t know that they haven’t already asked,” said city clerk Tracy Prost.
The price quoted for the city was good until Wednesday, May 26.
“I just assume go with what we got because of the circumstance we’re in with the possible increase in costs,” said alderman Dave Schumer.
Hudson suggested the board modify its approval process in the future.
“Well before we ever do this again, we need to be doing it different because what just happened here is going to cost us a helluva a lot more money than what it should have,” Hudson said.
“The whole intention was to save you guys money,” Brent Buerck said. “The intent was to help, not hurt you.”
“I think if they would’ve put a list of contacts, had it broke down where all we’ve got to do is look and see they’re the lowest bidder, that’s my only thing,” Guth said. “We don’t know who they talked to.”
Alderman Curt Buerck agreed.
“I’d like to see an estimate broke down,” he said.
“I just think it’s our responsibility to do our due diligence,” Guth said. “If I was building my own building, I would definitely talk to as many people as I could to get the lowest price. We don’t know if he did our not.”
Administrator’s report
As part of his administrator’s report, Buerck said the latest MoDot improvement list has a turn lane from Brenda Avenue to Old St. Mary’s Road on Highway 51, which he said “should help relieve some congestion there.”
Highway J tower update
Buerck told the board that the county is working with the Missouri Department of Conservation on ways to renovate the Highway J tower. Several of the fire towers across the state have been torn down.
Trail approved
The Board approved an emergency ordinance to enter into a license agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission in connection with the construction of a multi-use trail along Perryville Boulevard (Highway 51) from Star Street to Old St. Mary’s Road.
The Board of Aldermen will hold its next meeting Tuesday, June 8, at 6:30 p.m.