The Warrenton Board of Aldermen unanimously approved an agreement between the city and ACR Concrete in the amount of $36,900 during their meeting Tuesday, July 7.

ACR was the low bidder, with two other bids coming from Crack Wizard in the amount of $36,990 and Advanced Foundation Repair LLC in the amount of $49,200.

According to Grounds and Maintenance Director Justin Knoll the project is to repair the retaining wall west of city hall near the police station as the wall is cracking and leaning.

Also during the July 7 meeting the board unanimously approved an agreement between the city and Heath Excavating LLC in the amount of $71,359.66 for repairs to the pool park lake.

Knoll said the repairs consist of putting in an overflow structure in the dam, doing a small emergency spillway and removing the existing island and moving some settlement and stabilizing the banks.

Alderman Christine Wait asked Knoll how critical the project is and Knoll said the lake has been leaking since the city took over the property. He said during summer water leaks through the dam and will eventually become a worse problem if something isn’t done.

There were four bids on the project. Two Alpha Contracting’s bid came in at $81,225, Gateway Landworks LLC came in at $171,800 and M. Turpin Services came in at $475,000.

Alderman Roger Romaker asked why there was such a discrepancy between bids and Knoll said that the higher bids were going to haul all the sludge in the lake off site to a private facility.

The board also unanimously approved an agreement between the city and Girdner Contracting for the Rainbow Road and Sunrise Court water main replacement. The city received seven bids ranging from $432,596 to $674,826. The lowest bid was actually submitted by Wehmeyer Farms Inc. in the amount of $432,596 but Gonzales Companies recommended Girdner instead in the amount of $452,134. The city went with the recommendation from Gonzales in awarding the project to Girdner.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident Frank Cusumano spoke to the board voicing his concerns about the recent selection of a replacement for the Ward I alderman position vacated by the death of Cody Turner, who defeated incumbent Jack Crump in the April 7 municipal election. 

Cusumano, along with Crump applied for the open position and Crump was selected by Mayor Eric Schleuter on June 16, but the board voted 3-2 against Schleuter’s appointment. 

Cusumano said he waited since the last special meeting on June 16 to see if there would be another meeting regarding the appointment. He said he would have preferred that Turner had lived to fill the seat, but he put his name in the ring because the position was open and accepting candidates. He said he felt the matter was unfinished business and he suggested perhaps a special election be called to fill the seat, but City Attorney John Young said the city has no authority to call a special election.