Van Buren council OKs Field of Dreams upgrades

The Van Buren City Council accepted a bid from Crawford Construction Company for construction of a $237,500 concessions and restroom facility to be built at the city's Field of Dreams complex at Monday night's meeting (May 20).

According to Mayor Bob Freeman, the facilities will be built near the complex's five new softball fields. Funding for the project is being provided by a one cent sales tax passed by voters last year.

During discussion on the contract, Councilwoman Donna Parker questioned the price tag of the project.

"I was thinking (the price would be) around $175,000 to $190,000," Freeman told the Council.

In preparing original estimates for the project, the mayor said he was unaware that pump stations would need to be installed in order to move waste from the facilities.

"It has to include a pump station because of where it sits to be able to pump the stuff from restrooms and concessions out to the system, so it cost us a little bit (more) because of that," Freeman explained.

Councilwoman Marry Ann Dodd brought up the issue of cost overruns following the higher bid due to the pumping station.

"So this is pretty much going to be a firm bid? (The construction company) won't have any come back for more money?"

Freeman assured the Council that the bid was solid and in line with the other seven bids received for the project. The bid passed the Council on a 6-0 vote.

In addition to the vote on the construction at the Field of Dreams, the Council also accepted a bid in the amount of $44,291.79 from Municipal Property Program of North Little Rock for property insurance. Freeman said it was the only bid to come in, as it had been for the last three or four years.

The rate was the same as last year, according to Freeman's secretary, Jennifer Froud. She said many times, larger companies said providing insurance to the city was not worth it for larger companies, something Freeman said the city had experienced in 2008.

"There has been one occasion where another insurance company has come in with a better bid and we only held their insurance for one year and they dropped us because it was the one year that had the hail and the wind storms and they decided our premium wasn't worth it.

Nearly 15 minutes after the Council unanimously accepted the bid for insurance, the meeting was adjourned following the issuance of a tornado warning in Crawford County.

Prior the the warning, which did not produce a confirmed tornado, the Council:
• Approved a resolution for a fixed asset disposal of a computer server that was no longer operable;
• Set a public hearing of June 17 at 7 p.m. in the Van Buren City Council meeting chambers for vacating an easement near the property of Bob Null;
• Approved entering into a lease with a private business for property owned by the city at 816 Fayetteville Road;
• Appointed Tiffany Webster to the Planning Commission, re-appointed Bernie Manard to the Housing Authority, re-appointed Nathan Hurst and Karen Pharis to the Civil Service Commission and appointed Steve Dufresne to the West River Valley Regional Waste District Board; and
• Approved a resolution authorizing the mayor and city clerk to transfer funds from the municipal judge and court clerk retirement fund to the Arkansas Public Retirement System and to the Arkansas Judicial Retirement System. Judge Gary Cottrell was the only remaining participant in the fund and Freeman said the city thought it was in the best interest to move the funds and relieve the city of the obligation.