Alva Review-Courier -

The Alva Utility Authority declared a vehicle surplus, voted to purchase another vehicle and approved change orders on the Young Street Tank Farm Project. The AUA met following the city council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Trustees voted to declare as surplus a 1984 Chevrolet C30 that began its life with the city as an ambulance and has been used extensively since then. They also authorized the disposal of the vehicle by sealed bid or auction.

City Business Manager Joe Don Dunham presented information on the proposed purchase of a new one ton pickup with a dump bed for the water/wastewater department. Dunham has a purchasing limit of $25,000 so needed approval for this vehicle. The 2018 Ford F350 one ton regular cab 4x4 is priced at $34,006 from Washburn Motor Company of Alva. The dump bed from Southwest Truck Parts to be to be placed on the pickup will cost no more than $14,000. The trustees voted approval of the purchase.

Dunham said this pickup will replace a 1984 Chevrolet one ton pickup with a dump bed. Delivery time is anticipated to be three months. The new vehicle is purchased from the Oklahoma State Purchasing Contract list and comes with a three year, 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty; a five year, 60,000 mile drive train warranty; and a five year, 100,000 mile warranty on the diesel engine.

Water Tank Project

The city could have saved some money on the water tank replacement project on Young Street if soil compaction tested at the proper level. There was no way to check the compaction under the old tanks until they were demolished. It was assumed for bidding purposes that the old tanks had provided enough compaction over the years.

After the old tanks were demolished, the geotechnical consultant drilled test holes and learned the foundation would need to be an additional four feet thick. The original bid specifications included five feet of excavation below the grade, and the consultant says the city will need to be at nine feet.

The trustees voted to approve the change order to pay Wynn Construction an additional $85,775.34 for the additional work needed to meet Department of Environmental Quality standards.

Since the project had a built-in contingency allowance of about $200,000, the change will be covered by the low-interest long-term loan granted by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

Other Business

The AUA trustees also voted to approve the minutes of the last meeting, claims of $87,612.37 and payroll expenses of $124,412.83.

The Alva Economic Development Authority met after the AUA adjourned. This board handles the budget and expenditures for the Alva Recreation Complex and the NWOSU scholarships from sales tax. The trustees approved minutes of the last meeting, claims of $308,062.98 and payroll expenses of $21,070.17.