Replacement water equipment available from only one supplier

McCOOK, Neb. — A $60,000 purchase for the water department will be done without taking bids.

Per city code, no bids are required if it’s determined that there is only one source for the required supplies, materials or services. City of McCook Utilities Director Jesse Dutcher notified the council Monday night of the line stopping equipment that will be purchased for the water department without the usual bidding process, as he said the equipment is highly specialized and available from only one source.

The updated line stopping equipment is manufactured by a company in Lombard, Ill., and sold by one source, Municipal Pipe of Hastings in Hastings, Neb., he said.

It will replace current equipment that is 35 years old. Funds to pay for the new equipment, at $61,814, are included in the 2019-20 water department budget and derived from city user fees.

The equipment gives crews working on the pipe the ability to isolate a section of pipe and stop the flow of water. This prevents the shut down of large sections of the water system. The method is used where valves are not available or not working, with the same equipment often needed to replace valves and water hydrants, Dutcher said.

Because the city’s line stop equipment is ineffective (will not seal against the inside of the pipe), a contractor has been employed to do the line stops, costing between $1,000 and $1,500, depending on the size of job. One job cost nearly $5,000 when a contractor had to be called in the middle of the night, due to a vehicle striking a fire hydrant, he told the council.

Councilman Jared Muehlenkamp asked if the company the city would be buying the equipment from has been around for a while and Dutcher said that it has been.

The lone item on Monday’s agenda up for a vote was the final reading of a city ordinance amending the City of McCook's Local Option Economic Development Plan, to provide for early childhood care and educational programs as a qualifying business. The council unanimously approved the ordinance on its third vote.

The beginning of Monday’s regular meeting was marked by two citizens thanking the city council for the prompt painting of cross walks at Norris Avenue and H Street.

Former city councilman Bruce McDowell and McCook mom, Tasha Blomsted, both thanked the council for getting it done the next day after the council approved the cross walks on Nov. 18.

Blomsted said she and other parents would like to see in the future ramps at that intersection for strollers. She also said that she has spoken to staff at McCook Elementary and Central Elementary about educating children about the correct way to use a cross walk.

City Manager Nate Schneider told the council that city staff has been talking with the engineer for the HVAC repair at the city library, James Marshall, and that information will be presented to the council at an upcoming council meeting.