FREEBURG — Freeburg trustees approved a bid from McClanahan Construction Company, Inc. for $2,302,001 for the new wastewater project at their Aug. 7 meeting. McClanahan Construction Company’s bid includes the base bid for construction ($2,008,000), sludge removal in lagoon cell #1 ($86,275), sludge removal in lagoon cell #2 ($32,726), awning over UV concrete pad and control panel enclosure ($25,000), excavation, backfill, and aggregate base for manual bar screen headworks structure ($30,000), cast-in-place concrete pad for bar screen headworks structure ($25,000), excavation, backfill, and aggregate base for concrete pad for headworks dumpster ($2,500), cast-in-place concrete pad for head works dumpster ($2,500), and precast concrete process manholes for headworks ($10,000).

“McClanahan Construction Company came in as the low bid by quite a bit,” said Bartlett & West Project Engineer Kyle Landwehr, noting a difference of about $500,000.

Also bidding were Midstate Pipeline Maintenance ($2,484,364), SMICO Contracting Group ($2,576,312), Stockman Construction Company ($2,648,046), Young’s General Contracting ($2,703,962), KCI Construction Company ($2,997,992), and R. L. Persons ($3,420,885).

Landwehr noted that McClanahan Construction Company had just completed a job working with Bartlett & West in Rosebud and there were no problems.

“I have no concerns about awarding the project to them,” Landwehr said. “They do really good work.”

Bartlett & West had originally estimated the construction for the wastewater facility would cost $2,520,476. Landwehr explained that the village of Freeburg had set sewer rates based on that original estimate.

“The rates will be able to come down because it is a pretty significant savings,” said Mayor Darryl Haller.

“I feel really good about this bid and this project,” Landwehr added, estimating that the construction process would start in the fall of this year and be completed quickly. “They should be done by next summer.”

Trustees will request an additional bid from McClanahan to repair the slab over a small creek that goes to the wastewater facility.

“It’s over 30 years old,” Haller noted. “It wouldn’t hurt to get a bid on it.”

In other business, trustees approved a proclamation announcing their wish that Freeburg become a Purple Heart Village.

Resident Paul Backues attended the meeting and asked trustees to consider pursuing the process. “I’m a veteran, and I always wondered why Freeburg was not a Purple Heart Village,” Backues said. “The American Legion Post is named after a MIA/POW who is also a Purple Heart recipient. We have a lot of veterans in the area who are Purple Heart recipients. It boils down to supporting our veterans and recognizing those that have been wounded or killed and who received a Purple Heart.”

Backues said that the first step in the process was drafting a proclamation.

Trustee Jamie Kaesik noted that she would call the Columbia chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, which is the next step in the process.

Backues volunteered to pay for a third sign that could go up on Rt. P.

“I’m embarrassed we haven’t done this before now,” Haller said. “We’ll put up three signs, and there will be no cost to you. You’ve done more than enough already.”

Trustees approved the purchase of three signs for $125 each.

• Haller noted that he and Utilities Supervisor Doug Hamacher had some concerns about drainage at the City Park regarding the addition to the Holy Family Parish construction project.

“Originally, they were going to stop their drainage pipe where we have concrete, but they decided to run it all the way out of the park, underground, which will be better anyway,” Haller explained.

Haller’s concern is that water is coming off the hill and runs over the basketball court and must be frequently dug out.

Haller and Hamacher would like to have a French drain put in at the basketball court to handle runoff.

Hamacher will reach out for an estimate for the project and report back at the September meeting.

• Freeburg will donate the 15 hours of grant writing assistance they receive from the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) as a part of its membership to the local fire department so they can search for grants to make a helicopter pad near Hwy. 63 by City Hall.

“It would be great to have it, and we rarely use the 15 hours that we have,” Haller said.

Additional fill has been dumped near City Hall to aid in the construction of a new road into Quaker Windows and could be used to construct the helipad.

• Trustees approved Water Clerk Cindy Struemph to purchase stamps, not to exceed $1,000.

• The board approved Hamacher to take down the basketball goals at the Village Park. The village will pay to have the basketball goals sandblasted, and Top Notch and Dale Struemph of Sports Afield will donate the paint. Hamacher will be responsible for reinstalling the backboards after they are refinished.

• The Missouri Rural Compensation Trust will be refunding the village $303 on its policy.

• Village Clerk Danielle Holterman has received a significant number of Sunshine Law Requests from data companies. “I’m responding to them, but so far, the companies have been asking for information we do not have listed as vendors,” Holterman said.

She asked if there was a fee schedule already set up for the village to handle Sunshine Law requests.

Haller thought that a fee schedule might have been set up at some time but that it may need updated pricing.

“These people are just trying to collect data to sell to other people, and it takes a lot of time,” Holterman said.

Trustees agreed that the village should be charging for the process as allowed by law.

• The board tabled a decision on which streets should be cracked-sealed and sealed this year.

Hamacher received a quote from Blackroads Group for $20,581 for the following streets to be sealed: East Gilbert, East Oliver, South Chestnut, CR 636, CR 634, East Walker Street, West Harrison Street, and North Pine Street.

Hamacher was not sure that the estimate included filing and sealing any cracks in the asphalt.

Hamacher will clarify the details of the estimate and report back at the September meeting.

• Kaesik reported that a resident had reached out to her when their trash was not picked up by Republic Services and wanted a refund.

“The city took care of their trash the next day,” Kaesik said. “As far as I am concerned, it was taken care of.”

Trustees did not believe further action was necessary.

• Kaesik also reported that a culvert near her house was clogged and causing water to pool on the highway during recent storms.

“The problem is, it is dangerous,” Kaesik said. “I’ve seen people hydroplane there several times.”

Hamacher will try to clean out the culvert soon.

• Trustees approved the following outstanding expenses: general revenue ($6,256.60), sewer ($1,404.74) and water ($1,162.36).

• The village had the following ending account balances: purchasing ($652.35), sewer checking ($10,924.29), general revenue checking ($4,900.88), sewer money market ($452,121.41), general revenue money market ($551,985.74), wastewater project ($59,849.69), water revenue ($12,433.05), water replacement ($212.61), and water money market ($1,079,634.49).

• Freeburg had a 2% water loss for the month of June. The village pumped 1,421,521 gallons of water and billed 1,340,400 gallons.

• The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 pm.