Worthington City Council approves change order requests to fire station

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WORTHINGTON — Approximately $8,000 will be saved on landscaping around the new Worthington fire station because of a proposal awarded to a Slayton company, according to Worthington City Administrator Craig Clark.

The Worthington City Council approved two change order requests Monday night, which, for now, will make a $9,086 difference, but a contract will be added back in for landscaping at a later date.

The first change order was in regard to a revision that will add $10,914 to the cost of the station, but needs to be addressed to facilitate storm water drainage. Field conditions will necessitate the removal and replacement of pavement on Second Avenue at the intersection with Ninth Street to match the planned curb grades in order to maintain drainage.

The second change order, which reduced the cost by $20,000, deletes the provision for landscaping and planting from the general contract.

The city will then assist in the planting, and sought proposals for additional work. A low bid was awarded out of Slayton, and will bring about an estimated savings of $8,000 in the long run, Clark said.

In other fire department business, Worthington Fire Chief Rick von Holdt requested and received approval for a controlled burn training exercise sometime within the next few weeks. An exact date cannot be set until some details are worked out, and then the department will wait for optimum weather for a Sunday burn. The wind will be a deciding factor, von Holdt said, as the department will wait for wind speeds of 20 to 15 mile per hour or less.

Firefighters will be burning a dilapidated barn at Nobles 5 within the city limits owned by Paul Larson of Jackson. Larson was informed the structure was considered a nuisance by city ordinance definition and would have to be abated. He contacted the fire department to see if the building could be burned as a training exercise.

The burn will take place on a Sunday while JBS Swift is closed, and the Worthington Police Department will ensure that the flow of traffic is not impeded.

“If I see a building on fire that close, I’m going to stop and watch,” Mayor Al Oberloh admitted.

“We’ll keep you moving,” Worthington Public Safety Director Mike Cumiskey replied.

One truck may be shuttling water, but all other trucks involved in the burn will be off the roadway and a sign stating the burn is controlled will be posted, von Holdt said. There will be other trucks not used during the exercise in the event of a fire call.

Exercises such as a controlled burn are a good opportunity for new firefighters who don’t have structure fill experience to learn about different ways to control flames and embers of a fire.

In other business, Oberloh expressed concern that a truck from the city’s electric department is being sold because of a schedule, when other departments are working to extend the life of vehicles instead of buying new vehicles.

“How do we get the Water and Light Board thinking in a manner to consider extending the life of vehicles,” Oberloh asked.

Clark said he would bring the mayor’s concerns to the board, but at this point the new vehicle has been ordered.

In other business, the council approved second and third ordinance readings, a reconstruction project on Apron A at the Worthington Airport and a storm sewer improvement on Ninth Avenue from Clement Street to an easement and alley corridor 200 feet to the west.

One item regarding the administrative International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 agreement was removed from the agenda so the city can make some language changes.

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