Park rehabilitation projects OK'd
Williams will use $154,266 in Proposition 40 funds to rehabilitate three city parks and build a new one in the Valley Ranch subdivision.
The City Council on Wednesday awarded the contract to Dunton Construction of Anderson, the low of five bidders for the project.
No company from Colusa County submitted a proposal, city records state.
Williams will make improvements to Redinger, Venice and Valley Vista parks, while building a new mini park on White Oak Drive in the Valley Ranch neighborhood.
The Venice Park work may include moving the ball diamond back to its original location in the southwest corner of the facility.
The original plan was to include lighting in the project, but that was withdrawn from the bid packages because there was no specific standard provided and bids came in wildly different, City Administrator Charles Bergson told the council.
He said the staff will come back at a later date with a lighting proposal.
The city is under a bit of a rush to get the work done because the Proposition 40 grant money must be used my mid-March.
Each of the five county supervisors was awarded $240,000 to spend in his or her district. Some of the funds under the authority of Supervisor Mark Marshall, who represents Williams, is being used for the community center.
In other action, the council:
• Re-appointed all five planning commissioners to new terms. Edward Davis, Joel Sanders and Nancy Marshall each was given four-year terms, while Bob Freeman and David Miles will serve two-year terms.
"I think the Planning Commission is doing a great job," Mayor Angela Plachek-Fulcher said in giving the group a vote of confidence.
There was some concern about recent attendance problems that kept the panel from seating a quorum, but the council was assured that had not been an issue for the past six or seven meetings.
• The council changed the business license fee structure for apartment complexes, simplifying the formula that was based on gross receipts to a flat $15 per unit per year. That also applies to private rentals.
• The impact fees for special events for reimbursing public works and police time also was increased, based on recent salary increases. The exact costs were not specified.
• Public Works Director Wes Goforth reported that the new wastewater treatment facility is about 74 percent completed.
• It was reported that because the museum group is busy preparing for the 100-year celebration of the high school that it will not be doing the long-running antique festival this year. However, council members hope to save the event.�
