Bid approved for used oil heaters
Meeting in regular monthly session Thursday, Oneida’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen awarded a $22,527 bid to RBM Company of Knoxville, and Mayor Jack E. Lay announced that the Soil Conservation Service would be providing $100,000 to sod athletic fields at the Bear Creek Recreational Park.
Those were the two major items to emerge from the night’s meeting which also saw the board approve two ordinances to bring local traffic-related municipal codes up to state standards, and approve fund-raising roadblock requests for the Oneida Lions Club and Young’s Insurance’s “Relay for Life” team.
The board also showed its support for the Children’s Center of the Cumberlands with the adoption of a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Awareness Month.
Building Inspector Rex Orick announced the opening of bids for the purchase of two used oil-burning heaters and a used oil transfer pump, which will be acquired through a result of a $24,000 recycling grant from the state.
The three bids submitted were from J. Visco Enterprices, Nashville, $22,008; Energy Logic of Antioch, $20,340; and RBM Company of Knoxville, $22,527.
Orick stated that while RBM’s bid was the highest, it was also the only one received which met the town’s specifications, and recommended that the board award the bid to the Knoxville firm.
Mayor Lay likewise recommended RBM and, on a motion by Vice Mayor Cecil Anderson and second by Alderman David Lowe, the board approved the awarding the bid to RBM by a 4-0 vote, with Alderman Sharon Miller absent due to the illness of her daughter.
The two used oil heaters and pump will be used in the town’s Street Department Garage, replacing a 10-year-old unit which has logged some 10,400 hours.
Mayor Lay later announced that the Soil Conservation Service would provide the town $100,000 to purchase and apply sod to the athletic fields at the developing Bear Creek Recreational Park.
The mayor also stated that the town’s bid specifications for fencing for the athletic fields had been approved by the state and would soon go to bid in a project to be funded by recreation grant from the state.
Early on in the meeting, Mayor Lay re-introduced two ordinances for second and final reading. Both deal with bringing local codes up to state standards, one concerning traffic offenses, and the other the “rules of the road.”
The ordinances were jointly approved by an all-aye vote, following a motion by Alderman Jeff Tibbals and second by Lowe.
In other business, the board:
• Heard a report from Tammy Foster, director of the Children’s Center of the Cumberland, who thanked the mayor and board for its continued support for almost a decade, provided information about the work being done at the Children’s Center, and announced details of the upcoming Nancy Swain Watters Memorial Walk fund raiser;
• In separate motions, approved fund-raising roadblocks at the Oak Grove traffic light on U.S. 27 for the Oneida Lions Club (May 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and Young’s Insurance American Cancer Society “Relay for Life” team, April 4, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;
• Heard the Oneida Fire Department’s activities report from Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Murley, who reported on four vehicle maintenance and/or firefighter training sessions held during the month, as well as responding to a total of 16 calls during the month; and,
• Heard a report from Mayor Lay (in response to a question posed by Alderman Tibbals) that five grant applications have been filed with the state for various local projects, but he wasn’t sure of the status of those requests as to their meeting guidelines for stimulus funds expected soon from the federal government.
Thursday’s meeting ended with a minor flare up between Alderman Tibbals and Mayor Lay, after Tibbals had requested details concerning a statement made in the board’s January work session concerning anticipated budget problems.
Tibbals said it had been stated that income was down 20%, and expenses were up 20% more than expected and that he would like to see a year-to-date comparison of those figures.
“How can we know if we don’t see the numbers?” he asked.
Mayor Lay said he didn’t know what Tibbals wanted, but added that measures had been taken to curtail spending, that taxes were slow coming in but were about equal to last year, and that if he need detailed information he would have to get it from Betty [Matthews], the city recorder.
The meeting adjourned without further comment.