Columbia Falls opts to buy new road machine
Northwest Montana News Network
In two votes, the Columbia Falls City Council on Monday chose to repair city streets.
The first vote will make street repairs more timely and is expected to save the city money. The council voted to purchase a spray injection road machine from Normont Equipment Co. for $63,570.
It will allow the city to create its own hot mix asphalt and repair potholes earlier in the spring.
Until now the city has relied upon local asphalt plants for its mix and sometimes that means waiting until late spring to make repairs.
"This has the equipment to patch as soon as the ground thaws," City Manager Bill Shaw said.
In a report to the City Council, Public Works Director Lorin Lowry estimated a cost savings in the future using the machine.
The asphalt material currently purchased by the city is $185 per ton, while the new machine will produce it for $96 per ton.
Lowry estimates an annual savings to the city of $4,450 by using the new machine.
Council member Don Barnhart voiced his support of the purchase. He noted that he recently watched city employees filling cracks and said the effort was a "lesson in futility."
"This machine - I'm 110 percent for it," he said.
Also on Monday, the city voted to call for bids on the 2009 phase of the street levy project. The project calls for work on First Avenue, Third Avenue, Sixth Avenue and Second Avenue.
The first phase of the project on Veterans Drive and Talbot Road were completed last summer. Work began after voters approved a $1.1 million levy in 2007.
The estimated cost of the current project is at least $500,000. The city has about $400,000 remaining from the levy that will be combined with about $100,000 in stimulus money from the state.
Work on other streets could be added depending on cost.
"We hope that the bids could be extremely reasonable with what we're seeing," said Shaw.
In other business Monday, the council:
n Voted to pay $6,166 for part of the cost of paving road to the city's Cedar Creek South and Moose Crossing subdivisions. Montana Land Concepts, which owns Moose Crossing, requested that the city split the expense for the entire road that accesses the North Fork Road. However, the council voted to pay only half the cost of the portion of road that allows access to Cedar Creek South.
n Announced public hearings for Aug. 17 for the preliminary budget, the permissive medical levy and the lighting and street maintenance district.
n Appointed Nicholas Ransier-Ross as a volunteer firefighter.
n Recognized several employees for long-term service to the city. Those with five years service are Art Ott, Todd Mertz, Mark Lampman, Craig McConnell and Sean Murphy. Those with 10 years' service are Nancy Burns, Sallie Berosik. John Pemberton has 15 years service.purchase. He noted that he recently watched city employees filling cracks and said the effort was a "lesson in futility."
"This machine - I'm 110 percent for it," he said.
Also on Monday, the city voted to call for bids on the 2009 phase of the street levy project. The project calls for work on First Avenue, Third Avenue, Sixth Avenue and Second Avenue.
The first phase of the project on Veterans Drive and Talbot Road were completed last summer. Work began after voters approved a $1.1 million levy in 2007.
The estimated cost of the current project is at least $500,000. The city has about $400,000 remaining from the levy that will be combined with about $100,000 in stimulus money from the state.
Work on other streets could be added depending on cost.
"We hope that the bids could be extremely reasonable with what we're seeing," said Shaw.