During the Sikeston City Council meeting Monday, March 6, 2023, Council was updated on the status of the new fire station, which will be located on E. Malone.

Brett Dille of Dille Pollard made the presentation and said progress is being made. He explained the two options of the project delivery systems that council had to choose from as the next step in the process.

One option was the design-bid-build, which is a traditional method that involves the completion in three distinct phases in sequence. Construction does not begin until the design process is complete, and the bid accepted. There is no overlap between the design and construction.

The other option, recommended by Dille, was construction management at-risk. With this option, a contractor is interviewed and once chosen will manage the project. They will provide a guaranteed maximum price on the project. If the total cost is under the price, the city keeps the money. Anything over the guaranteed maximum price will be the responsibility of the contractor.

This method avoids the potential shock on bid day as well as gives the professional consulting committee a chance to interview the contractors rather than just accepting the one with the lower bid.

Dille said it is tough to know a time frame on when the fire station could be completed but he hoped to break ground in the fall and then estimated the construction to be a 300 to 365 day project.

After Dille spoke, Council authorized the release of a request for proposal for construction of Fire Station #2. Council chose the construction management at-risk method.

During Monday’s meeting, Council also:

• Heard the first reading of a bill that approves an amended and restated performance agreement for Unilever Chapter 100 bonds.
• Awarded the bid for purchase of 11 new picnic tables for Sikeston Parks and Recreation to Highland Products Group for $14,413.66. Parks and Recreation had budgeted $12,000 for the purchase of 10 tables but received an additional $2,000 donation from Farm Credit Southeast Missouri – Sikeston branch in January for the purchase of an additional table.
• Awarded the bid for the purchase of 300 new banquet chairs for the Clinton Building to EventStable for $13,950. The combined total cost for tables and chairs equals $22,071.15, over the $20,000 budget for the line item. However, Parks and Recreation is currently accepting bids for the old tables and banquet chairs. The money received from the selling of the old items should be enough to cover additional expenses for purchasing new tables and chairs.
• Approved the purchase of a 26-foot scissor lift from Mike’s Rentals Inc. $43,509.45 for Sikeston Parks and Recreation.
• Heard from a local resident concerned about allergy drugs that are not able to be purchased without a prescription. The resident also told council of issues he was having with his Sikeston BMU app.

Heard from a local resident concerned about illegal burning in Sikeston.