The elevator addition for the Jacksonville Public Library hit a snag when the only bidder for the project, Dixie Construction of Piedmont, came in far over budget at $176,000. Ron Cannon, architect for the project, proposed a solution for the problem during Monday night’s city council work session – rebid only the elevator and its installation and combine the rest of Phase I into the annex portion.“What we have decided would be our recommendation is first to reject that bid and next we have checked with the elevator people who manufacture the elevators and we can put out a little bid package and bid out just the elevator equipment and installation of it and that should be about $40,000 just for that,” said Cannon.
The bids are due in on May 20 and will be reviewed at the May 27 council meeting. Once a company is selected for the project, the council will ask they hold the equipment until Phase II, the library annex, is ready for construction. This will allow the city to purchase the equipment before the July deadline to spend the $50,000 Alabama Public Library Services grant funding the project.
“And then they would come back and install it when the contractor for the annex has got the shaft prepared,” said Cannon.
Also during the work session, Mayor Johnny Smith updated the council on the train depot project. Southern Heart Pine Recovery, the company doing the Union Yarn Mill demolition, has offered to remove and refinish the floors of the train depot at cost.
“I think without this deal we wouldn’t be able to reuse this floor,” said Smith.
During the meeting, the council:
• Approved a vision plan for the employees of the Water Works, Gas and Sewer Board at $5 per employee to be paid by the council. Councilman Truman Norred voted against the measure since he felt the city should also allot $3.25 toward the cost of family coverage.
• Approved the police department firearms abandonment list. The 120-gun list is comprised of firearms recovered by the police since their last firearm destruction in 2005.
