The Stuart City Council met last night for its November session.

The Council began the meeting by unanimously approving final pay estimates to Grimes Asphalt and Godbersen-Smith Construction relating to street improvement projects last year.

Next, the Council unanimously approved the eight partial pay estimate for the Wambold Project.  The project is nearly complete, but a few miscellaneous tasks still need to be completed such as the raising of street signs and incorporation of stop signs.

Forrest Aldrich of Veenstra & Kimm Engineering addressed Council members to see if they would like to pursue liquidated damages against the project’s contractor, Priority Excavating, since the project has gone weeks beyond the agreed upon completion date.  Aldrich will draft a letter on the matter for the Council to look at in its December meeting.

The Council then discussed the Rock Island Depot Project, with members unanimously approving Critelli Law Firm to represent the City of Stuart during the restoration process.  The Council also unanimously approved the recommendation from Knowles Blunck Architecture to accept the bid from Roy Sargeant to be the contractor for the project.

Stuart’s tax increment finance (TIF) certificate was then unanimously approved by the Council.

Next, the Council decided to accept the proposal from Veenstra & Kim Engineering to be the lead project manager for Stuart’s downtown facade improvement project.  Aldrich says the engineering firm will work to compile a list of possible architecture firms to work with for the project.  He hopes a list will be presented to the Council during its December meeting.

Finally, the Council unanimously approved giving the Stuart Chamber of Commerce $500 for its Trees Please! grant application. Members of the Council voiced opinions that if the trees are planted by the Chamber in 2014, the group must find a way to maintain and water those trees themselves.

A couple of items were brought to the Council during public forum to conclude the meeting.  Most notably, Mayor Dick Cook suggested the City try to change its code regarding trailer parking on the sides of streets.  Cook says he has received numerous complaints the past couple years about unattached trailers causing problems for local travelers driving through town.  The issue will be discussed further in December.

The next Council meeting will take place on Monday, December 9th at 6:30pm in City Hall.