This week’s meeting of Bradford City Council went a bit longer than expected, as 18 bids were opened for woodworking machinery seized by the Office of Economic and Community Development.
“We’ve never had a fraction of this many bids before,” said Mayor Tom Riel, as city administrator Eric Taylor opened the bids and read the pertinent details. Some were for a few items in the inventory, a saw or belt sander or planer, while a few offered bids for the entire lot.
“There were over 7,000 views on our Facebook page,” said Sara Andrews, interim director of the OECD.
Councilman Fred Proper asked where the equipment was stored.
“At our facility, the Habgood Center,” Andrews said.
One of the bidders, present at the meeting, asked her about the condition of the equipment, saying some of it had been left sitting outside and wasn’t properly covered.
Andrews said the bids were advertised “as is,” and said, “The owner of the equipment had left the city.”
She told The Era, “The equipment seized was from an unpaid loan from a closed woodshop business. It was initially left outside for several months by the owner. We collected the equipment and brought it down to the Habgood Center.
“We were able to store most of the equipment inside, but did not have enough room to store all of it inside,” she added.
After the bids were opened, Riel said they would be reviewed and awarded at the next council meeting, in two weeks.
Also at the meeting, new Councilman Kris Goll read a resolution to pay $23,637 to Micale Fabricators for repairs to the pedestrian bridge at Callahan Park. The funds for the project will come from ARPA.
Council approved entering into a relending agreement with Kartesz Family Vision for $100,000 to assist with purchasing new equipment.
A proposal from Graham’s Greenhouse was accepted for landscaping services on Boylston Street and at Old City Hall. According to the resolution, the proposal is to provide additional landscaping services to replace and add plantings on three landscape beds on Boylston Street and to replace a dying ornamental tree in front of Old City Hall with two weeping cherry trees for a total cost of $3,025.
Council approved advertising for a uniform construction code certified code inspector for the city; Mike Cleveland, who does it currently, is retiring.
Riel also read a proclamation for National Library Week, April 7 to 13.
