Midway City Council, at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 3, awarded a contract to Weiser Industrial Coatings, Inc. (Weiser) for $110,000 for a complete repainting of the water tower at Midway Station, not the iconic Tin Man tower in town.
Weiser was the low-bidder, provided strong references on similar projects and was recommended by Midway City Engineer David Brown, PE.
Mayor Grayson Vandegrift pointed out that the project is completely funded by a Clean Water grant from the state government and that there is an additional $50,000 left over, which will either handle possible change orders or different projects.
“There will be no Midway general funds spent on this project,” he said.
The council had formally accepted the grants, two of them, in a special meeting held the previous Thursday, Aug. 29.
Vandegrift also informed the council they had received several bids for the restoration and painting work on Tin Man. However, he said, “The bids were all over the place, which indicates contractors didn’t understand the scope of the project and we will plan to rebid it next year.”
Vandegrift said the good news about the Tin man is that it was last painted with lead-based paint, which posed a serious environmental hazard if the old paint had to be scraped off. Instead, he said, “There is a type of paint or finish that can be used where the old paint stays on and is sealed. It will still basically look new.”
Event permits
The council approved permits for the 9th Annual Frozen Rails 10K to be held on Jan. 1, 2025, which benefits the Midway Ministerial Association; and, the Dash for Dolls on Feb. 16, 2025. Vandegrift said the Dash for Dolls has raised thousands of dollars since it started to buy dolls for Christmas gifts for children.
Ordinances
The council heard the first reading of a text amendment to the zoning ordinance, which will permit the sale of medical cannabis in only certain districts and beyond 1,000 feet of a school or childcare facility. Vandegrift said this new ordinance is mirrored after the one adopted by the City of Versailles and that there is practically no location that would be allowed other than a far corner of Midway Station.
Council heard the second reading of the 2024-2025 ordinance setting the real and personal property tax rates at 0.55 on $100 of assessed value – the same as it is now.
Softball homecoming
Councilmember Logan Nance announced a big event for Midway – a reunion/homecoming softball tournament for folks who played in the Midway softball league, which was a major part of the Midway calendar for many years. The event will be Sept. 15 at the old softball field from 2 – 8 p.m.
“This is for all the players who’ve played over the years and it should be a lot of fun,” Nance said.
There will be four teams and lots of food, with several Midway restaurants participating and Midway’s own Bob Rouse will be the announcer and provide commentary.
Midway Volunteer Fire Department
Councilmember Patrick Hall announced the Midway Fire Department is actively seeking new volunteers.
Vandegrift also thanked the Versailles Police Department for increasing speeding enforcement on Stephens Street, which has resulted in an increase in citations and warnings, and “hopefully making the road a lot safer for everyone.”