The Cole County Commission has awarded a contract for stormwater improvements in the Meadowbrook Estates Subdivision.
During Tuesday's regular commission meeting, the work was awarded to Stockman Construction, whose bid of $1,719,990 was about 14 percent below the engineer's estimate - which was more than $1.9 million. Commissioners hope work on the project can start in a couple of weeks.
At the end of 2016, the commission approved the design and engineering work to be completed by the end of 2017. Actual work on the project wasn't expected to begin until this year.
Heavy rains in August 2016 caused flooding across the area. The project will include stormwater repairs, curb and gutter work, and street and pavement work. The majority of costs would be covered by the county's half-cent improvement sales tax.
Stormwater problems have increased locally over the past year. Possible causes include rainfall exceeding the design of pavement and pipes; debris clogging pipes or inlets, with the first heavy rain of spring flushing debris from fall and winter; and bottom floor elevations of some basements being too low, in close proximity to creeks and/or below the low point of a road.
Paramedics' pay
Also Tuesday, commissioners authorized County Ambulance Director Jerry Johnston to add a dollar to hourly pay for night-shift paramedics to help fill two full-time positions. The jobs will go from $19 an hour to $20 an hour. A night shift paramedic makes $43,500.
Johnston said he hopes some day-shift paramedics will move to nights for six months as the department continues recruiting efforts. This would help cut overtime and better balance shifts, he said.
Johnston noted the department has no openings on day shifts and has had no trouble recruiting dispatchers and emergency medical technicians.
Last month, commissioners approved a four-month agreement for a recruiting service to help hire three full-time paramedics. Johnston said he hopes to see the benefits from that effort soon.