Pool to be used by California elementary students

At the regular monthly meeting of the City of California Board of Aldermen on Jan. 5, Recreation Supervisor Jim Deeken reported the California Elementary students will be using the municipal swimming pool for the next eight weeks. Beginning, Tuesday, Jan. 6, first through fifth graders will go to the pool during their physical education classes.

In other pool related business, Deeken reported the air handling unit, which reduces moisture in the air in the pool building, is not operational. The council approved calling a company to repair it, for a base cost of $2,700. This amount of money will bring the company to California within the next three weeks. The actual cost of the repair work will depend on what is found to be the problem. The repair company would send someone immediately for a base cost of about $8,250, but since everything else is operational, an immediate response was considered unnecessary.

Electric Supervisor Rick Graham reported the city electric crew was on the job in the cold Sunday night, Jan. 4, replacing an electric transformer along Latham Road, which had failed. He also reported obtaining nearly half of the easements necessary for the installation of the underground electric lines in Country Club Estates south of Village Green Shopping Center. Water and Wastewater Supervisor Kyle Wirts reported repair of a water leak on South Roache Street near Lake Street on New Years Eve. The work was completed about 2 a.m.

The bids were accepted for work on new water and sewer lines to be installed under Cooper, Kelley and Locust Streets, replacing the older, less efficient lines currently in use. Ameren Missouri plans to replace the natural gas lines while the street excavation is going on. The bid of $510,000 includes putting in a seven-inch asphalt overlay after the utility work is completed. The work will begin in the spring and is expected to be completed in June.

According to updates given, the water system work, including a new tower, well and the data system improvements are proceeding. Two change orders were approved. One will lower the cost on one contract and the second will raise the cost on a second contract. The result is a savings of about $66,000 to the city.

Other topics discussed included the Sanitation Department, the sale of a 1995 Chevrolet pickup and renewals for hay or grazing on the city-owned property at the north and south lagoons.

The Sanitation Department discussion involved plans to look into services offered by the department. Recent repairs to a truck engine, at a cost of about $20,000, initiated the discussion by the council. Graham said even though the mileage may be low on the truck odometers, the actual hours put on the engines is equivalent to about 100,000 miles a year.

About the used city pickup, 14 bids were received. The high bid, by Dale Kuhn, was $3,101.

The council discussed letting the bids for hay and grazing on city property be for one year with two one-year renewals, making it the same for all of the city land in agricultural use.

The next regular city council meeting is Feb. 2.