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City council will likely turn down grant for Ricketts-Graham Lake improvements

Editor
Posted 2/12/20

The Fayette City Council is leaning toward the abandonment of a state grant to improve the walking trail around Ricketts-Graham Lake. At the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, February 4, …

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City council will likely turn down grant for Ricketts-Graham Lake improvements

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The Fayette City Council is leaning toward the abandonment of a state grant to improve the walking trail around Ricketts-Graham Lake. At the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, February 4, aldermen examined bids to pave the walking trail and parking lot, and install a new bathroom. The council also heard an update from Mayor Greg Stidham regarding progress made on the city’s ISO status.

Scott vogler, from MECO Engineering, discussed bids submitted to pave the walking trail around Ricketts-Graham Lake. The engineer’s estimate to install an ADA-compliant cement sidewalk in place of the current gravel trail totaled $156,734. The lowest bid submitted was from Fayette company Alexander & Associates for $137,925.84. The highest bid totaled $266,275. Most bids came in around $160,000.

The heart of the city’s predicament lies in grossly underestimated costs used to formulate the city’s grant application. The project was originally estimated to cost $221,371.88. A current estimate by MECO nearly doubles the total to $427,730.11.

A Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant from Missouri State Parks in the amount $141,569 was awarded in 2017. The city was required to match $79,803, most of which would have been in the form of in-kind labor.

But it wasn’t until 2019 that the city realized the project was financially upside down. Now the city must decide if it can pick up an estimated $170,000 in remaining costs on its own. If not, Fayette would likely have to abandon the grant and the majority of the project. No grant money has been drawn by the city. However, walking away would likely put future grant applications in peril of being denied.

The largest discrepancy in costs is with regard to the walking trail. The estimate used in the grant application to pave an ADA-compliant walking trail was $41,080, nearly $100,000 under the lowest bid. The cost to build a bathroom was originally expected to cost $28,169.29. But the current price for a prefabricated bathroom is $46,295.40. The asphalt driveway and parking area also came in nearly double, from an estimated $41,600 to $81,541.80.

There is an opportunity to receive an additional 25 percent added to the grant through the RTP program, which would increase it by $35,392.25 to a total of $176,961.25 for a program now estimated to cost nearly a half a million dollars. So far $79,803.25 in donations have been pledged to help fund the project. This leaves a $170,965.61 for the city to pick up should it decide to complete the project.

“I guess the question is where do we get $170,965.61?” Mayor Stidham said. “If we cannot come up with that funding, then we need to turn the grant down.”

Stidham further suggested that the only reasonable option would be for the city to go it alone, and make improvements with only its employees and equipment. He would ask those who pledged funds toward the project if they would allow those monies to still go toward improvements if the city were to take on the project without the help of the grant.

Director of Public Works Danny Dougherty said that the city has already performed significant work on the project. Employees have raised the back side of the trail, improved drainage, elevated the spillway, took out the old bridge and performed other dirt work. 

To further complicate matters, the Howard County Health and Wellness council has already purchased an ADA-compliant playground, which it hopes to install in the spring.

“Maybe in the near future we can come up with the money to lay the sidewalk to the playground,” Dougherty said.

Robin Triplett, Fayette’s city administrator, suggested the city ask donors if those pledges could be used for sidewalks and a bathroom.

Ultimately the council tabled the matter. A decision on which course the city will take will likely take place at the council’s next meeting February 18.

*****

Mayor Stidham delivered an update regarding the city’s possible downgraded ISO rating. Fayette’s rating could change from a 5 to a 7 unless improvements are made in several areas such as 911 service, fire hydrants, and the fire department. A worse ISO rating would mean higher insurance rates for those owning property in Fayette. The city has until April 22 to submit a report showing improvements.

Mayor Stidham has spearheaded the effort as of late to ensure improvements have been made before the end of his term in April. He has decided not to run for re-election.

He reported to the council that a committee formed to deal with the issue met the previous Thursday. “We went through the report line by line,” Stidham said. The city is well on its way to making necessary improvements to keep the city’s rating intact. “Hopefully by the end of this week we will have all the documentation we need to start working on a response,”  Stidham said.

Stidham also said he spoke with the Columbia, Mo. fire department about the possible purchase of a used ladder truck. Fayette’s department has been in need of a new truck since 2014, but has been unable to gain approval from the city council to purchase one. The cost to buy a used truck from Columbia would be around $150,000. It would likely be available in the summer of 2020. “I think this is something we could include in our ISO response,” Stidham said. 

*****

With regard to a proposed Community Improvement District (CID), Mayor Stidham detailed a meeting held prior to the council meeting that included the members of the Moberly Economic Development Corporation along with newly hired executive director for Fayette Main Street Mike Dimond, among others. Results from a recent online survey were very positive, he said, with about two-thirds of respondents voting in favor of the CID. The next step toward realization of the CID is to visit with property owners and potential voters who live inside the proposed district. Then a petition will need to be developed to put the proposal on the ballot.

*****

Dougherty reported that he was granted access to a property on South Park Avenue that has had problem activity for some time. It was initially expected that the city would have to obtain a warrant to enter the property, but the owner gave permission for entry. “We went down and evicted the people who were in there and bordered it back up,”  Dougherty said. 

“It already looks better because it’s all cleaned up,”  said Marsha Broadus,  spokesperson for the neighborhood.

The city will hold a hearing for another troubled property in the same area.

*****

Scott Vogler, from MECO Engineering, reported that plans for the sidewalk replacement program along South Church Street will be submitted to the MoDOT for approval by the end of the week. And the sewer replacement project has been submitted to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Rural Development for review. The city will need to obtain property easements for both projects. 

*****

City Administrator Robin Triplett reported that a review of electricity loss along electric lines showed little to no difference between summer and winter months. In a pitch to the city, a representative from Poor Boy Tree Trimming during the council’s previous meeting suggested that there is likely a loss of up to eight percent due to tree limbs touching power lines. 

With regard to water, however, the city is experiencing a considerable loss of nearly 40 percent. It is unknown where the loss is occurring. It was surmised that older meters could be inaccurately measuring water pass through. The city is working to replace all meters. So far about 100 new meters have been installed out of approximately 1,100.

*****

City attorney Nathan Nickolaus reported to the council that work is being done on the inside of the Bell Block building located at the corner of Church and Morrison streets. The historic building’s condition has been under scrutiny and three of the four businesses located on the ground floor have relocated. The building’s owner, Dan Ruether, of Columbia, had for nearly a year ignored demands by the city to make repairs. Finally, under threat of a hearing and possible legal action, repairs have commenced, if somewhat slowly.

The city hired engineering firm Klingner & Associates, P.C. to inspect the building in October. Nickolaus said that once Ruether claims all repairs are done, the city should bring back engineers for another inspection.

*****

The city is exploring the creation of a scholarship to State Technical College of Missouri, formerly Linn Technical College. “It seems like electrical people are hard to find, and hard for the city to recruit”  Mayor Stidham said. The scholarship would be for a Howard County student who would then commit to working for the City of Fayette for a specified amount of time upon graduation.

In other business: 

Aldermen gave unanimous approval to purchase eight new electrical transformers at a cost of $7,550, and other materials for electric distribution at a cost of $3,680.20.

The council voted unanimously to purchase two fire hydrants at a cost of $4,535.08.

The city is still considering options with regard to an emergency notification system.

The city will entertain bids from two more tree-trimming services in the near future.

The next regular meeting of the city council will be at 7 p.m. on February 18 at City Hall. Meetings are open and the public is invited.

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