City Manager's Update to Council 05/21/2013

The East Street Sewer Separation Project.  We will be completing a final walk-thru on the East Street Improvement next Wednesday and then closing the project out.  Preliminary figures show that we should be about 5% under budget.  Norfolk Southern has removed the remaining part of the grade crossing that was within their right-of-way so there is no longer any physical indication of crossing's prior existence.   

The Parks and Cemetery Department has been working extremely hard the past couple weeks due to the late arrival of good weather.  Things look great from what I have seen and Superintendent Mason says they will definitely be ready for Memorial Day on May 27th and the opening of the Aquatic Center on June 7th. 

Another department that has been extremely busy is the General Services Department (GSD).  It seems that if a job does not neatly fit under any other department's responsibilities it becomes the GSD's task to complete.  I think Superintendent Hamilton likes that challenge but it can also present logistical problems when scheduling work, especially when the department is down on staffing as it currently is.  The staffing situation should be corrected by month's end as the Civil Service Commission has now completed all of the relevant testing for promotional and hiring purposes.   

While we are on the subject of the General Services Department, you will remember that council approved the purchase of a new single axle snowplow truck for this year's budget.  We took delivery of that new unit last week and Superintendant Hamilton will have it out here on the north side of City Hall for your inspection following the meeting.    

Meetings with First Energy (FE) are continuing as we work towards the goal of removal of their unused/unneeded assets in town.  We tentatively have a meeting planned for next week with FE and two of their larger pole attachment tenants.   

We recently had one employee at the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and three employees at the Waste Water Treatment Plant test before the state to improve their levels of certification.  My hat goes off to them for continuing to improve their knowledge in their fields.  I believe all of Clyde's services require our employees to operate at the upper end of the "skilled trades" scale and it is a dedication to lifelong learning that gets us there.    

Recent Bids…

US Rt 20 - Awarded to Gerken Paving for $ 1.56 million (Clyde's share estimated at $ 109,000)

Upcoming Bid Dates…

Clyde Substation Circuit Switchers/Transformer Protection - June 7th

East Forest Street Sewer Separation Project - June 7th