It’s back to the drawing board for the Town of Duck Hill on their North Main Street project. City Engineer Joe Sutherland said the lowest bid received for the project was $39,000 over budget and funds available for the project.
“You have two options. You can re-advertise and rebid it, which is what I figure you’re going to do, or the city can come up with $39,000,” he said.
The board decided to rebid the project. Sutherland said he would have to redesign the project to reduce the cost even more.
“It may just be an overlay project from Binford to [Highway] 404,” he said.
According to Sutherland, when a project is over the estimated amount, you can’t negotiate the cost.
Sutherland also told the board that he’s applied for the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair funds through the Mississippi Department of Transportation. He said he applied for potential projects on North Main and Rosemont Streets.
“If you can do some politicking to help it, you can turn it loose,” he said. “I don’t know if politicking will help, but it never hurts to try.”
Also, the board heard from Dina Kilburn, who took over from former librarian Jessie Mann after her retirement in December, regarding the library’s fiscal year 2022 budget request which will not include an increase in funding from the town.
At the library, Kilburn said she’s been cleaning things out, moving books, creating a display and a storage system for the library’s DVDs.
She also said the library now has a movable lending library and if it needed it can be moved around the town. In addition, the Friends of the Duck Hill Library had helped her clean up the front of the building. Alderwoman Linda Bennett complimented Kilburn on the library’s curb appeal.
Since Kilburn began in January, she said the library has seen almost 700 patrons to check out books, use the computers, and make copies.
The board also went into executive session to discuss an investigation into an alleged break-in at the city’s shop. Board Attorney Adam Kirk said the board took no action into the matter.
Also, the board:
• Approved the nomination of Lula Brown as Vice Mayor.
• Approved Fire Chief Michael D. Woods to apply for grants using an Alabama firm to purchase a new fire truck. Woods said the firm has worked with many municipalities in Mississippi like Seminary and Columbus.
• Approved the repair of the passenger rear door on Chief Tyler Winter’s patrol vehicle after it was damaged accidentally.
