On February 27, the Hillsboro City Council accepted a bid from Whiteside Communications on four new outdoor warning sirens for the city.
City Clerk Cory Davidson said he had advertised for bids for two separate kinds of sirens: a Vortex R-4, and a Whelen WPS-2908. According to Davidson, the Vortex model sirens are less expensive,, but the Whelen model sirens are a top-of-the-line product.
The city received bids for both types of sirens from Whiteside Communications and ADS Electric. The winning bid was awarded to Whiteside for its Whelen WPS-2908 Siren in the amount of $139,995. Davidson said he had only budgeted $105,000 for the sirens, but recommended going with the more expensive siren since it is a higher quality product.
Finance Commissioner Katie Duncan said the additional funds could be taken out of the Capital Improvement fund, but Davidson said money from the General Reserve could be used instead. Mayor Brian Sullivan and the other commissioners agreed that using funds from the General Reserve was the better option. The council voted and accepted the bid, 4-0. The amount includes a turn-key installation and will be delivered in eight weeks.
A representative of CTI -- the new fiber-optic internet service provider moving to Montgomery County -- was in attendance at the meeting and spoke during the public comment portion.
CTI General Manager Bobbie Durbin said that the company is currently in Montgomery County and is expected to reach Nokomis in April and Hillsboro by June or July. She also said that the company is planning on housing an office in Hillsboro, and that because of this, they will be creating ten new jobs. In order to fill the new job openings, there will be a hiring event held at city hall on Saturday, March 10, from 9 a.m. to noon.
When asked if the company will provide on-the-job training for certain positions, Durbin said that for the right candidate, they would offer that training. She said that employees with experience in a related field would be preferred, but are not required.
The council also approved a maintenance agreement with Cummins Sales and Service for the water plant generator.
The topic was one that was tabled from the previous meeting in order for city officials to look into the possibility of including the sewer generator into the same agreement; But Public Improvements Commissioner Don Downs said that they will not be able to address the sewer generator until next year. The cost of the agreement for the water plant generator is $1,290.14. The motion passed, 4-0.
The next Hillsboro City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, at 7 p.m.
