Fire Station in Midway were reviewed by the Midway City Council at last week’s regular meeting. The selection was the low bidder, Brett Construction Company, a design-build general contractor located in Lexington. The amount of the award is $3.4 million and exceeds the bonded budgeted amount of $2.5 million. The other two bidders submitted proposals of $3.6 and $4.6 million.
Woodford County Emergency Management Director Freeman Bailey believes the actual cost will be much closer to the budgeted amount. Bailey told the Council that he had worked with the company on prior projects in the county. He said he had already been through the bid specifics and identified substantial savings which would bring the cost to around $3 million.
Mayor Stacey Thurman said, “We have the resources to be able to bridge any possible [funding] gap. This is a serious public safety issue and I want to proceed.” As Thurman noted, once the bid is awarded, there will be additional negotiations on the actual costs and Bailey will be a resource to hold the costs down and monitor the work.
Council agreed and voted unanimously to accept the bid of Brett Construction. In a follow-up phone interview, Thurman hopes that the steel building is up before this winter.
Councilmember Sara Hicks was unable to attend the meeting but had asked Thurman to begin the discussion on “Tin Man”, the water tower/landmark near downtown. During the budget discussions, the Council had identified Tin Man as something to address given that it needs to be restored. Council members engaged in a robust discussion of the possible options including identifying a corporate sponsor to cover the costs in exchange for a branding opportunity.
Everyone agreed that before any action is taken parameters would need to be set to ensure any images on the tank would be appropriate and in good taste as well as integrate well with the city’s image. Thurman also noted that the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission would need to be involved to make sure proposals comply with zoning and signage requirements, and more importantly that ample opportunity is set up for public comment.
In other action, Cortney Neikirk requested a permit on behalf of the Midway Merchants Association to hold a public Halloween event featuring a Thriller parade on Sunday, October 29, from 5:00 to 10:00. Neikirk said similar Thriller events, particularly in Lexington, were highly successful with significant community participation from all ages. She also was excited to report that Jane’s School of Dance in Versailles will offer a free workshop for anyone who wants to be a dancer in the parade and that there will be other activities offered as well.
The Council unanimously approved the permit.
Because of an increase in traffic, Thurman requested Tracie Wright, Operations Director for the Woodford County Road Department, to provide information to the Council regarding the possible installation of stop signs on Stephens Street at the intersections of Gratz and Brand. Wright explained that the placement of stop signs involved discussions with traffic planners and an assessment of the pluses and minuses. Wright stated that the County Road Department could do the installation and that costs were not significant to blaze (paint) the street with vinyl reflective strips and purchase the signage.
Thurman wanted to introduce the Stephens Street topic and “take the temperature” of the Council before any decision is made. Wright said she would consult with a traffic engineer at the University of Kentucky and come up with a cost estimate. Thurman said she would bring this back to Council soon.
In other action, Steele Rouse was sworn in as a member of the newly reactivated Code Enforcement Board. This means all new members are now serving and the board can function.