Council votes to gives itself more oversight of city contracts, approves Nationway repairs

Previously, contracts greater than $35,000 needed approval from the council. That amount would be lowered to $25,000, with the exception of regular obligations like utility costs. Contracts below the minimum only require mayoral approval.

The amendment will go back to the Finance Committee before final approval by council. Last year, 26 contracts fell within $25,000 and $35,000.

“This amendment will significantly affect every department in the city,” Lockman said.

Lockman said the new rule will create more work for Purchasing Manager TJ Barttelbort. Now, Barttelbort will have to create a city council agenda item for each contract above $25,000.

“For just adding the items to the agenda, not including advertising per bid, will add up to nearly one month to his already busy workload,” Lockman said.

Lockman said the change is also inconsistent with the city’s current purchasing policy, where the threshold for bids still sits at $35,000.

Ward II Councilman Dicky Shanor approved of the measure, saying the council’s process for contract approval is easier than the bid process. He said that asking for agenda items was not “unduly burdensome on staff.”

“If this governing body gets to a point where there’s more faith restored in the process, and we feel like we’re being as transparent as we need to be, then we can certainly raise it in the future,” Shanor said.

The change was approved by the council with “no” votes from Ward I Councilman Pete Laybourn and Mayor Marian Orr.

“I think that, certainly, we should listen to our staff,” Laybourn said. “I think they know best what specific time elements and efforts are necessary to bring us this information.”

Council approves Nationway repairs

This summer, a double chip seal treatment on Nationway bled oil when temperatures reached the mid 90s. Thanks to a City Council vote Monday night, those repairs will be milled off and paved over with new material before winter.

The council approved a $573,892.25 amendment to the city’s contract with Simon Contractors on Monday night to fund the mill and overlay repairs.

“This is important work that needs to be done,” said Council President Rocky Case.

Nationway is the sole road in Cheyenne that received a double chip seal repair. The engineering department attempted to lengthen the lifespan of the road using a new method, but found the treatment didn’t work with Cheyenne’s climate, according to Construction Manager and Engineer Sam Berta.

Mayor Marian Orr said although hindsight is 20/20, the engineering department wasn’t wrong to test a new method.

“If we don’t continue to use other applications and test them out, then we really limit our resources,” Orr said.

Orr also said trying the application on a smaller road would have been better.

“Unfortunately this was a really big road, and a really big fail,” Orr said.

With the $573,892 contract amendment, crews will tear out the top inch-and-a-half of the street and overlay the same amount of new material.

“I don’t necessarily like the way this unraveled, but we’re doing what we have to do,” Case said.

Going into 2020 and 2021, the engineering department has laid out a strategic, data driven pavement management plan that city officials say is promising.

In other action

The council approved a grant agreement from the Wyoming Department of Health’s Aging Division that allows Cheyenne residents age 60 or older to ride public transit for free. Thanks to the $63,908 grant, about 4,700 seniors are able to ride the bus each month at no cost.

The council accepted a $319,624 construction bid with S&S Builders for a new greenway connector on Powderhouse Road. The construction will connect existing greenways on Gardenia Drive and Storey Boulevard, as well as fix a drainage issue at the intersection Gardenia and Powderhouse. The bid is the first part of a six-segment design process and will be paid for with sixth-penny sales tax funds.

The council appointed Thomas Cobb as the new city engineer. Prior to his appointment, Cobb worked as the senior engineer and planner for the Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization.