Public hearing set to opt out of city planning commission training

The hearing, scheduled during the regular board meeting on Monday, Sept. 21, will address a recommendation by planning commissioners to opt out of state training requirements. At recent planning commission meetings, board members stressed a desire to continue with the same amount of training. Opting out simply eliminates liability to the city concerning the amount of training hours completed. The move will not affect the community's Three Star rating with the state.

Also at the meeting, board members:

* approved the attorney's invoice for $11,532.08. Alderman Kevin Chaney moved to approve the invoice, with Bart Williams adding a second. The motion passed unanimously.

* granted a bid for a full-size sedan without a police package for the use of Dyersburg Police Chief Art Heun in the amount of $18,416.18 to Tim Castellaw of Dyersburg.

Alderman Bob Kirk moved to grant the bid, with Freeman Dudley adding a second. The motion passed unanimously, with Williams informing board members that his wife is the attorney for Tim Castellaw Ford and Dudley informing the board that he does business with Tim Castellaw before the vote.

City Purchasing Agent Greg Williams said the car was not a budgeted item, but it will be paid for out of the drug fund. Notification was made through the State Gazette and direct to three vendors.

Other bidders included Delta Auto Sales in the amount of $21,158.45 and Walker Chevrolet, who offered the Tennessee State Contract of $20,250.

* granted a bid for a 2010 Rear-Loader Sanitation truck for the Solid Waste Management Department in the amount of $141,361.88 to Tri-State International of Dyersburg. The bid includes a trade-in of three older rear-loader trucks.

Alderman Charles McCright moved to award the bid, with Williams adding a second. The motion passed unanimously.

Alderman Lewis Norman asked Williams if the vehicles used for trade-in were used as backup trucks. Williams said they were, but the purchase of the new truck still leaves an extra vehicle for backup.

Williams informed board members bids for the budgeted item were advertised in the State Gazette and direct to five vendors.

General Truck Sales and River City Hydraulics gave no response, and a bid from Scruggs Equipment was rejected for not meeting the required specs. The other bidder was Tri-State Truck Center in the amount of $151,975.

* granted a bid to tear off and replace the roof at City Hall in the amount of $78,820.60 to Jolly Roofing of Collierville.

Kirk moved to award the bid, with Kevin Chaney adding a second. The motion passed unanimously.

Williams said the item was budgeted in the amount of $50,000.

"A big reason this is over budget is there was asbestos found in the roof," said Williams. "That's why the cost is higher than we expected."

The original bids were collected with a 20 percent contingency, with notification provided to Construction Datafax, McGraw Hill Plan Room and West Tennessee Plan Room.

Graham Roofing and Chandler Demolition offered no responses, with Frazier Roofing offering a base bid of $185,000 and Jolly Roofing offering a base bid of $98,537. Williams said city officials asked the two bidders to bid again without the 20 percent contingency, with Frazier submitting a bid for $148,000 and Jolly for the winning bid of $78,829.60.

Williams said Jolly has completed work for the Peabody and several shopping centers, hospitals and schools. And while the city has not done business with the company before, Jolly Roofer has worked with Dyersburg State Community College and has completed several jobs with Forcum Lannom. The roof will have a 20-year warranty, with no dollar limit.

* Street and Sanitation Committee Chairman Freeman Dudley reported on the organization's Aug. 4 meeting concerning paving projects throughout the city.

McCright and Shannon Walker were the only aldermen to offer comments in Alderman Reports.

* Walker requested a Public Safety Committee meeting be called to consider prohibiting the use of tobacco products from activity centers in the Parks and Recreation department.

"I'd like to at least start with the activity centers," said Walker.

* Walker also informed residents that the turning lane between Dyersburg Middle School and Dyersburg Primary School is no longer there due to recent paving and assured them that the state has been notified.

* McCright requested a Public Safety Committee meeting to look into adding a line along roadsides where there are no sidewalks so that pedestrians and residents driving non-motorized scooters will have a place to go.