Moving timeline up gets city a $3,000 discount
By Kellen Olshefski
Correspondent
At its meeting Aug. 7, the City of Elkhorn Common Council voted in favor of having the painting of the water towers completed this year, a project originally scheduled to be finished in 2018.
Alderman Michael Kluck said the topic was brought before the Municipal Services and Utilities Committee at its last meeting on July 24.
At the July 24 meeting, City Utilities Director John Murphy said when the water tower painting project was bid out, the city bid it for both water tanks, adding the alternate that whoever received the bid could either paint one tower this year and one tower next year, or both towers this year with a savings in the overall cost.
Murphy said when MK Painting was awarded the bid, the company’s proposal did not include a deduction for painting both towers in one year, and as such, the city opted in favor of doing the towers in separate years to spread out the cost of the project.
However, Murphy said, MK Painting recently approached the city and said business is slow for them this year and they were willing to take on the second water tower this year. At that time, Murphy noted, the company offered to deduct $3,000 off the cost of the project if they were allowed to complete it this year.
Murphy recommended to the committee at that time the second tower be completed this year.
Murphy said the company was doing well with the water tower painting project.
“They’re doing a fantastic job, they’re timely,” he said. “Even with this weather, they’re ahead of schedule.”
At the Aug. 7 council meeting, Murphy said the company offered to allow the city to prolong payment on the second tower until January 2018, though City Administrator Sam Tapson said it wouldn’t make a difference.
Tapson explained that the city has the money available to handle payment on the second tower at this time.
A motion to approve the painting of the second tower this year with a $3,000 discount was passed by the council unanimously.
