The Brownwood City Council approved an $84,500 bid to re-roof the Brownwood Coliseum at Tuesday’s meeting of the council.
The roof, a 34,600 sq. foot cement structure, is in need of recoating, city officials said.The work was put up for bid and according to Rountree, the city received only three bids. One was from local contractor Tunnel Roofing of Blanket and two others from Brazos Roofing and Alpha Contracting were also received. Bids ranged from $84,500 to $128,900 said Rountree.
The lowest bid was received from Dallas based Alpha Contracting. Rountree stated that references were checked and that Alpha Contracting had good reports.
Rountree stated that the city had budgeted an amount that exceeded $100,000 for the roof work, so the cost came in much lower than expected.
The roofing, two applications of polyurethane having a 24 mil thickness, will be completed by June 1, 2014 and will have a 10 year manufacturer’s guarantee.
The Brownwood Coliseum was built in 1963, recently marking its 50th anniversary as a Brownwood landmark and is the sight of many memorable events each year.
In other matters on Tuesday’s agenda:
*Council denied a request from Union Presbyterian Church to waive provisions of the Sign Ordinance to allow the placement of a billboard at 800 Hawkins Street and Austin Avenue. According to City Manager Bobby Rountree, the Sign Ordinance outlines several restrictions such as distance from other billboards to eliminate visual clutter and also distance from sites such as universities, historic buildings, and public parks. It also restricts placement of any billboards along Austin Avenue other than existing billboards which are grandfathered under the ordinance. The church had hoped to generate income from either the sale of the property to a billboard company or to construct a billboard which would create revenue from its rental according to church member Dale Hicks who presented the matter to the council. Due to a lack of a motion to approve the waiver, the request was denied by the council.
*Council approved an ordinance on first reading adding a three way stop at Greenleaf and Chandler.
*Council approved a lease to Pe Ben, USA of a 5 acre property (west of the Havins Unit) owned by the City of Brownwood for parking 10-12 trucks which will haul pipes to the BridgeTex Pipeline construction in northern Brown County. The lease terms are month to month for a period of three months, at a cost of $600/month. According to BEDC executive director Emily Crawford, the company will take occupancy of the property sometime this week. Rountree stated that the property was ideal for Pe Ben, as it has millings for a hard surface and gates with access to the nearby highway.
*City Manager Bobby Rountree gave an update on the Fire Station construction. He stated that slab should be completed in February and that the steel beams were being fabricated and will be delivered later this month.
* Rountree announced that City of Brownwood facilities will be closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 20th and that Mayor Stephen Haynes will be delivering the “State of the City” address at this Friday’s Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon this Friday.
