When bids for a 1,600 sq. ft pole building for the Crothersville Police came in considerably over the engineer’s construction estimate last month, it prompted the Crothersville Town Council to consider alternatives.
At the recent Aug. 2 council meeting the council announced that it was considering purchasing the present Methodist Church Annex at the corner of Dixon and Armstrong Streets just north of the stoplight.
Church leaders had earlier discussed downsizing its property holdings and town officials think the 3,200 square foot building, built in the 1980’s, would make a more affordable alternative to building a pole building at the present Moore Street police station.
“It should be a much better bang for our buck,” said councilman Jamy Greathouse.
Last month the council rejected all three bids that ranged from $226,933 to $317,972 for a 1,600 pole frame building.
Town attorney Matt Lorenzo told the council that two appraisals of the value of the Methodist Annex would be needed before the town could make an offer or enter into a purchase agreement.
The town is, reportedly, in the process of obtaining those appraisals.
In other business, the council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance to allow residents of the town to keep chickens. For decades, keeping farm animals inside the town limits has been prohibited.
Residents will purchase an annual permit, estimated to be $20 per year, to keep up to 4 hens (no roosters allowed) which must be confined an cannot be allowed to free range. The council will consider the matter further at their September meeting.
Planning and zoning for Crothersville took a small step closer when the council appointed Jamy Greathouse and Chad Wilson as the council’s representatives on a forming committee to development guidelines.
Greathouse said the town’s Redevelopment Commission will appoint two members and that town resident Belinda Maxie will fill one of the two seats from the public on the six member committee.
The council awarded two paving bids.
The first was to All Star Paving of Seymour for $307,000 for milling and re-surfacing portions of Main, Howard and Park Streets and Bethany Road. The work is a part of a $256,333 Community Crossings grant from the state. The town had previously budgeted $90,000 of local match to secure the grant.
Other bidders were Dave O’Mara Contractors for $378,837.50 and E&B Paving who bid $428,000.
In another paving project, a vacant lot in the middle of downtown will have 14 parking spots. BP2 Construction of Seymour was the low bid at $42,972.80 to pave the new public parking lot.
Other bidders were All Star Paving at $46,024.68 and Dave O’Mara Contractors at $87,700.