The Commercial-News, Danville, IL

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July 9, 2008

Demolitions on hold for re-bid

City reluctant to act against state statute

BY JENNIFER BAILEY

DANVILLE — Four dilapidated building demolitions in the city will have to wait a little longer to be completed.

The city’s public works committee recommended terminating the contracts with A & P Services of Danville due to improper documentation provided to the city.

The buildings are at: 331 Harmon, 509 Lafayette, 7 S. Buchanan and 12 Corrine at costs of $8,500, $9,750, $4,000 and $9,750, respectively.

The council approved the contracts in February, but Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said A & P owner Phil Newell had a lien placed against him by the Illinois Department of Revenue.

The city is prohibited to enter into an agreement with a business in these circumstances.

Newell claimed the lien, based on tax delinquency, was in protest at the time, but he hasn’t provided paperwork indicating that dispute going back to February.

Newell also provided the city with a $1,600 bid bond, which he wants back. But it is city practice to keep it when the work is not completed, Ahrens said.

Aldermen considered giving him another chance, but Ahrens and city clerk Janet Myers said that would be going against state statute in taking the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.

The next low bids for the demolitions would’ve cost the city about $29,000 more.

Aldermen recommended not approving those bids, but re-bidding the demolitions.

The matters will go before the full city council next week for action.

Also Tuesday, the committee:

- Recommended approving a $625,370 contract with Cross Construction of Urbana for the 2008 overlay program and a $215,134 contract with Daniel L. Ribbe Trucking of Tilton for the 2008 seal coat program.

- Recommended approving a $132,166 contract with Duce Construction Co. of Champaign to complete modifications to the Danville Mass Transit bus transfer zone.

- Recommended purchasing a new bus wash system for $90,500 from Ross & White Co. of Cary.

- Recommended authorizing a lease agreement with the Vermilion County War Museum.

- Recommended two alley vacations off Grace and Fairchild streets.

- Heard from resident Reggie Romine about the poor baseball field conditions at Garfield Park.

- Heard Ahrens report that two engineering firms have reviewed the sliding land in the 100 block of Logan Avenue.

The matter remains a private property issue.

“What happens underground is difficult to predict,” he said.

Additional soil borings and other repairs would be too expensive for the city, he said.

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