After delays, work to upgrade the Livingston Courthouse Square has officially begun.
Main Street Historic District Chairman Gene Gantt told Aldermen Monday night officials have gone out to each merchant around the square to update them on what was going to happen and what the city needed them to do to help. Gantt said the square would temporarily lose some parking due to the construction.
“We are encouraging all of the merchants and business owners to park off-site,” Gantt said. “We’ve got a map that we provided to all of them that we hand-delivered to everybody, as well as followed up by email so that they would know where the parking areas were.”
Gantt said he hopes there will be enough parking for merchants to continue business without any interruptions. Gantt said the project is expected to take four months to complete.
“We are hoping it will be a little shorter, but depending on the weather, it could be a little longer,” Gantt said.
The project will add ADA-compliant access to the courthouse square. It will also reduce flooding risks in the area, especially to the Courthouse basement. Improved sight-lines for drivers will also be part of the plan.
In other business, the aldermen tabled a decision to award a bid for the Hillcrest Drive Booster Station.
The project received two bids from Wascan, one to repair the pump and the other to replace the pump. Water and Sewer Supervisor Eric Ramsey said the current pump is 25 years old and cracked. Ramsey said that parts are not made for the pump anymore.
“They can pull it out and weld it up, put it back in service, and put a band-aid on it, and when it goes down, it’s done,” Ramsey said. “Or they can put a new pump in that they can get new parts for the next 25-30 years, and we shouldn’t have to worry about it for several more years.”
Ramsey said he recommends installing a new pump. Alderman Bill Linder pointed out that the bid to install a new pump does not include the installation price. The board wanted a quoted installation price before awarding a bid. Ramsey said replacing the pump is not urgent.
“There are two pumps up there,” Ramsey said. “We have another one just like the one that’s messed up, and if something happens to it, we can run this pump, it just leaks. So that’s why we have that turned off right now.”
Linder said he was not comfortable with awarding the bid.
“I just don’t think we should vote on something without the true, close to the dollar,” Linder said. “In this day in time, you can bid $10,000 and come back $15,000. I get that.”
Mayor Lori Elder Burnett said the city will get Wascan to clarify prices for freight, installation, and taxes as part of each bid. The board will revisit the bids at the next aldermen meeting.
The aldermen approved an ordinance on second reading to change permit fees to be 50 percent of the project cost unless 50 percent is greater than $75.
