The Pilot News - Lighting at baseball field approved

Council members voted unanimously to move ahead with funding for the project from the interest accumulation of the Urban Dev-elopment Action Grant Hospital Fund (UDAG). Although the council approved the sum of $93, 256, more than $8,500 of that total will have to be approved by the Plymouth Park Board. The cost of $84,670 includes a 10-year warranty. The extra costs would extend the warranty to a 25-year warranty. The longer warranty period would also include two “relampings” — with one being at the end of the 25 year period. Both warranties include repairs of everything except fuses.
Michiana Contracting is the local servicing agent for the manufacturer, Musco Lighting. Musco is a privately owned company in Iowa that is known for providing both temporary and permanent lighting for sports events — including the Super Bowl and the Olympics.
Locally, the company has erected lighting at the Plymouth High School football and soccer fields, the Triton High School football and softball fields, and Newton Park in Lakeville.
The current lighting has been in place for 35 years, according to Park Superintendent Mike Hite.
In other news:
• After a rather lengthy discussion, the Plymouth Common Council voted to include all of the following entities that have current tax abatements as being in “substantial” compliance: D. Mark Aker; American Containers, Inc.; Bay Valley Foods, LLC; Glenmark Industries, Inc.; LSAC Plymouth LP; LifePlex Holdings, LLC; Pregis Innovative Packaging; RBC Precision Products (dba Bremen Bearings) and Zentis Food Solutions North America, LLC.
The initial abatement associated with Pregis was granted to Tenneco. The company changed hands at one time to AVI and now is Pregis.
According to City Attorney Nelson Chipman, compliance means “promises” made.
This is the 10th year of the Pregis agreement. It was somewhat unclear if the abatement is still in force, according to the council. At one time, the company employed 200. They “promised” to add 27 employees as a condition for abatement; however, at this point, they have laid off 28 of the original 200.
Likewise, RBC intended to retain 89 positions, but now has only 47 positions.
Mark Neidig asked about clearing up “gray areas.”
“I’d like to nail something down by percentages so there is no gray area,” he said.
“You can’t go by percentage. There is no gray area — it’s either yes or no,” Don Gardner, councilman, said. “Most of these companies can’t project out 10 years. You also have to look at the economic climate.”
If the Council had not approved all of the compliance forms, those deemed out of compliance would have had an opportunity at the Aug. 10 meeting to explain their positions, according to Chipman.
• Mark Sullivan of Commonwealth Engineer-ing appeared before the Sanitary Board Monday night requesting that two projects be declared completed.
Lift stations at U.S. 30 and Goshen Road have been completed, with the exception of a punch list. Sullivan explained that the reason he was requesting a completion date of June 4 was for a one-year warranty period to begin.
“All and all, they did a very good job,” he said.
There was a 60-day delay; however, Sullivan explained the delay was caused by late delivery of pumps from a supplier and not the manner in which Selge Construction handled the project.
The final contract price was $537,688 up from the original bid of $532,747. He said the increase was the result of the use of portable pumps. The city still holds a retainage fee of $24,000 that will not be released until the punch list is completed to the satisfaction of the city.
A second project by Kaser-Spraker also required a time extension. The project consisting of the building of an administration building at the Sanitary Wastewater Treatment Plant was completed July 17.
The original date set was in June.
“It is essentially done, with the exception of a punch list,” Sullivan said.
The city also holds a $24,000 retainage for that project.
The requests for both projects were granted.
• The Plymouth Police Department will be getting three new Ford squad cars from Oliver Ford rather than the Chryslers it had voted for a few months ago.
Police Chief Jim Cox came before the Pubic Works and Safety Board during the city meetings July 27 and said in February or March of this year, he had been given approval to purchase 2009 vehicles from Country Auto.
He said the department has received letters of apologies noting that the dealership could not provide the squad cars as bid.
The plant that had been slated to build the cars was retooled for 2010 models before the 2009 models were built.
The new cost will be $57,418 from Oliver Ford. Cox said the deal includes three trade-ins.
Oliver Ford was the only bidder to meet the deadline of July 27, according to Cox.
• The Common Council voted on both second and third readings to fix salaries for 2010 for the elected officials of the city. Those positions include the mayor, Common Council members and the clerk-treasurer. The salaries will remain the same as the current 2009 ones.
Approved on first readings were ordinances concerning denoting paid holidays for 2010 and the fixing of salaries of appointed officers and employees and fire and police personnel for the year 2010.
The council also voted unanimously to eliminate the Water Works Board of Trustees and the Sanitary Board of Trustees. All of the responsibilities of those boards will go to the Board of Public Works and Safety.
The vote also includes stormwater management.
• Also voted on two final readings was an ordinance to set the monthly trash and recycling fee at $15.08.