Council clears way for Alatex cleanup

The Crestview City Council overcame a point of contention that might have affected the asbestos and lead paint clean-up required to ready the Alatex Building for occupancy by Florida A&M University.

The winning bidder, Cason Environmental and Demolition Services of Tallahassee, is required by state law to post a performance and payment bond before beginning work. Although the council can exempt the requirement for projects under $200,000, including company owner Mell Cason’s $98,450 bid, it chose not to exercise its prerogative in this case.

“We feel that we need to go ahead and get it, so he’s got to add another $5,000 to his bid” to include the cost of the bond, explained City Clerk Janice Young.

Young said that because the city has not undertaken a project of this type and magnitude before, at the recommendation of Public Works Director Wayne Steele, it won’t waive the bond requirement.

 “We felt better about having Mr. Cason get the bond because that way the city would be covered just in case,” Young said, adding that city leaders feel comfortable with Cason’s work, which has included asbestos and lead paint mitigation in public and private buildings including schools and offices.

“He has a reputable company and does good work,” Young assured.

Though the addition of $5,000 to Cason’s bid brings it to $103,450, it is still considerably less than the next lowest bid of $147,445. The highest bid received by the city was $255,105.

The motion to accept the bid with the addition of the performance bond cost was made by Councilman Charles Baugh Jr., who observed, “This is an important project for our city.” The motion passed unanimously.

Work on the building could begin next month.

In other business, the council:

• Increased city personnel’s reimbursement from 45 cents to 50 cents per mile for use of private vehicles for city-related travel to reflect new IRS limits;

• Approved changing city employees’ travel meals reimbursement per revised Florida statutes to $6 for breakfast (unchanged), $11 for lunch (up from $8) and $19 for dinner (up from $15);

• Requested the Chamber of Commerce’s young professionals committee chairman, Nathan Boyles, ensure vendors and other booth operators at this year’s Triple-B BBQ festival, which is sponsored by Boyles’ committee, do not set up too close to the sidewalk and block businesses’ entrances;

• Received recommendations from Margaret Barbaree of Protect Our Children addressing her concerns about unsupervised underage library patrons;

• Was encouraged by Mayor David Cadle to provide representation for the city at the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II in Noirmoutier, Crestview’s French sister city; and

• Requested Steele to speak with county road officials to determine why the county reconfigured turn lanes at the intersection of State Road 85 and P.J. Adams Parkway, generating numerous citizen complaints.