By John Howell
Batesville aldermen voted unanimously October 20 to reject two paving bids — one for the Pine Lodge connector road under construction east of I-55 and the other paving the city’s streets.

Lehman Roberts was the sole bidder on both, bidding $459,178 for the preparation and paving work that remains to complete the connector road and $45 per ton for application of asphalt to repave city streets. The cost of the asphalt would be in addition to the application cost, City Engineer Blake Mendrop said.

Instead, the city will use the term bids received last December for 2015 to complete the projects.

Lehman Roberts was also the sole and successful bidder on the term bids for asphalt at $91 per ton delivered, according to minutes from the December 2, 2014 meeting of city officials.
The connector road project will be completed with the “continued assistance of the county” in site preparation, Mendrop said.

The city’s 2015 road resurfacing will also be completed under the term bid, Mendrop said.
At the city’s water well under construction just east of the connector road, “They have found the sand that should produce the amount of water needed for the well,” Mendrop said.

City officials at their October 20 meeting approved an initial payment of $89,775 to Griner Drilling Service of Richland for the $769,300 project. The cost of the new well is partially paid with a $300,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Council.

Aldermen also approved a payment of $3,000 to North Delta Planning and Development District for their role in the grant application and administration.

Planning for the well began last year when city water pressure east of I-55 fell dangerously low, threatening supplies to the hospital and industries as well as residential users.

City officials will also use the term bidder to build a concrete header to border a rail siding walk that has been constructed by the Grenada Railway north of the north crossing on the Batesville Square. The railroad has built up the siding with gray limestone to allow passengers to board The Polar Express.

City officials paid Bickerstaff Brothers $271,270.35 toward their $341,832 bid for phase one of the extension of the city’s sanitary sewer system to Hunter’s Trace Subdivision, east of I-55.

Hemphill Construction has neared completion of a rehabilitation project at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The $1.535 million original contract had been modified by change orders to an estimated $1.797 million, a figure that dropped by $8,600 to $1.789 million in the final summary contract change order.

Aldermen approved a final payment of $171,112.21 to Hemphill to complete the project. The city used $800,000 in federal funds earmarked in 2010 to help pay for the plant’s rehabilitation.
Aldermen also approved a quote of $7,430 for the extensive preparation and painting of the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church building, owned by the city, on Panola Avenue.

City Code Officer recommended approval of the quote submitted by Robert Beard Construction. Another contractor bid $8,631 for the job.

Berryhill received guidelines for the work on the historic building from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.