May 10, 2011 By Ed McMenamin
The Pekin City Council approved a project Monday night that will resurface the east half of the general aviation ramp at Pekin Municipal Airport.
R.A. Cullinan & Sons provided the low bid of $346,290.
Pekin Public Works Director Joe Wuellner said the bid came in below the estimate.
“This is one of the few times we actually got two bids for a paving project,” he said. “Things are looking up and competition is getting stiff, so hopefully that will bode well for some of our other paving projects.”
Federal funding will cover 95 percent of the cost of the project. The city and state are splitting the remaining 5 percent, according to city documents, meaning the city’s total share will be less than $10,000, Wuellner said.
He said last week that the aviation ramp, which is where planes pull up to let people off or to refuel, has not been resurfaced since the early ’80s.
Public input
Two members of the community spoke on two different issues not on the agenda during the public input section of the meeting.
Eva Arnold said that up to two feet of water floods her neighborhood, just north of 10th and Derby streets, every time it rains. She said elderly neighbors can’t get to doctors’ appointments because of the standing water, and that they have to sandbag their windows to prevent water from getting inside. She said city staff has told her there are no funds to fix the drainage issue. Mayor Laurie Barra said she would take a look at the street personally.
“When the city is spending money on new projects instead of taking care of (existing) problems, there is a definite problem with priorities,” Arnold said.
Another resident said he thinks the next-highest finisher in the April city council election who did not win should be appointed to fill Barra’s former council seat, and that the mayor should not be able to pick whomever she likes.
http://www.pekintimes.com/news/x173166463/Pekin-City-Council-approves-airport-project
Source: PERKIKI DAILY TIMES
Date: 2011-05-10