Brownwood City Council awarded a bid to Prater Equipment Company for the Calvert Road project at their regular meeting of the council on Tuesday morning.

City Manager Emily Crawford explained that the project will straighten out Calvert Road to make a “T” intersection at Milam Drive, near Gordon Wood Stadium.  The project will begin with repaving beginning at Horseshoe Trail and will eliminate the current “Y” area of the roadway just before Milam Drive.  This will simplify the roadway for drivers and will create additional parking for the new Camp Bowie Soccer Complex.

The project also includes a portion of the Camp Bowie Walking Trail, from Horseshoe Trail to the soccer complex.

According to Crawford, the lowest of two bids received was submitted by Prater Equipment Company in the amount of $212,436.86.  One significant difference between the two bids was the unit price for curb and gutter ($18.70 vs. $51 per foot, or $73,000).  The curbing, which will be only on the west side of the project, must be installed to separate the walking trail from the street to protect pedestrians, explained Crawford.

The estimated probable cost of the work to be contracted was $167,750, which did not include approximately $90,000 for hot mix material and seal coating which will be done by the city’s street department.  City staff is evaluating an option to execute change orders of up to 25% of the project so that some of the work can be performed by the street department, saving approximately $20,000, according to a council briefing sheet.  This work would include striping the roadway and excavation of the old roadway.

The cost of the project is being funded through the 2012 Certificates of Obligation which was designated for street work according to city officials.

In other matters on Tuesday’s agenda:

*Tony Krischke of Krischke CPA, PC presented the city’s annual audit for year ended September 30, 2015.  According to Krischke, there were no issues, problems or concerns found during the audit process.

*Due to an error in the Bid Request document, all bids for the construction of a portion of the Camp Bowie Walking Trail were rejected.  The Bid Request will be corrected and the city will go out for bids again on March 24^, 2016.

*Council authorized the City Manager to execute an agreement to purchase the right-of-way at the intersection of Longhorn Drive and Calvert Road from the owner Kyle Cutbirth for $2000 plus $200 to pay the fee for the seller’s agent and relocation of a fence. The purchase of this right-of-way, a 0.08 acre tract of land, needed to reconstruct the park road on the north side of the Camp Bowie Soccer Complex from Calvert Road to Gordon Wood Stadium to align it with Longhorn Drive.

*Council approved mayoral appointment of Sheri Wells to the Planning and Zoning Commission.  Wells will replace Hank Hunter who stepped down due to a contract his business has with the city.  Wells will serve a term to run through December 31, 2018.