Council approves purchase of new scale

The city will save at least $15,000 in a recent purchase scheduled for the transfer station.

The McCook City Council approved the $51,895 bid from Fairbanks Scales of Omaha, for a new scale at the transfer station. This is well under the $70,000 that was included in the budget for the purchase.

The heavy-duty, pitless truck scale weighs the trash at the transfer station, where trash is sorted and then hauled to a landfill in Ogallala.

The city received another bid for the scale, from First Shot Scales Service of Sutherland for$41,428.

Councilman Lonnie Anderson, who pulled the consent item for discussion at Monday's night council meeting, asked for the details as to why this lower bid was by-passed. City Manager Kurt Fritsch said the bid was incomplete for several reasons,including that it didn't list a brand, as required on the specifications and that the company planned to re-use the current electronic equipment on the scale, equipment that has been damaged by lightning.

The council unanimously approved the bid from Fairbanks, along with the other consent agenda items, including:

* adopt a resolution that approves an easement agreement between the city and Donald D. Klein, president of Klein's Motor and Electric Company. The easement will provide the city access to install and maintain a new water main being installed on South Street. As part of the easement agreement, the city will provide a water tap to Klein's property in the area, with Klein paying for water service at regular rates.

* pending the city attorney's approval, a lease agreement between the city and the federal government, for space at the McCook airport that is currently being used by the Transportation Security Administration. The lease runs five years, from Nov. 19, 2009 to Nov. 18, 2014. It allows TSA to occupy 968 square feet at the monthly cost of $2,088 or $25,059 annually. The TSA provideds security for screening commercial flights at the McCook airport.

* award the bid for one new police patrol car to Wagner Chevrolet for a Chevrolet Impala police sedan, at $19,865. The other bid the city received was from Wagner Ford-Mercury-Toyota at $22,351, for a 2010 Ford police interceptor.