Art, parade, sewer work going before council
The Maryville City Council is expected to take up an abbreviated agenda Monday during its first regular February session.
Discussion items include a proposal to relocate the Maryville farmer’s market to a city parking lot plus a request for permission to hold this year’s annual “world’s shortest” St. Patrick’s Day parade.
For a number of years, the farmer’s market has set up shop in the Mary Mart parking lot on the west side of South Main Street. However, that property has sold, and questions have arisen under the new management with regard to liability coverage.
As for the parade, assuming council approval is granted, 2016 will mark the second year of a new tradition.
For more than a quarter century, the block-long procession took place in front of The Palms bar on North Buchanan Street. However, during construction of the Fourth Street pedestrian corridor, the event moved last year to Burny’s Sports Bar in the 300 block of North Market on the square.
Burny’s wants to host the event again this year, and is requesting that the city close the affected portion of North Market and provide traffic control.
This year’s event — the 29th annual — is to begin at 5:17 p.m. on Thursday, March 17.
In other business, the council is to consider amending its lease agreement with SculptureOne, which after negotiations with the Maryville Public Arts Committee has agreed to reduce its annual rental price for public sculptures installed on the square from $2,000 per artwork to $1,500.
Currently three sculptures are exhibited on the square with new works being installed every 12 months.
The price reduction would allow MPAC to acquire a fourth sculpture for installation along the newly completed West Fourth Street pedestrian corridor.
The current city budget provides $7,000 for MPAC and other public art initiatives with a total of $6,000 earmarked for leasing the three sculptures and the remainder set aside for marketing and event promotion.
Should the council approve the amendment, the total allocation will remain unchanged.
Also before the city’s governing board is a proposed contract change order adding a few thousand dollars to the cost of a sewer main lining project being carried out by Visu-Sewer Inc.
Repairing leaking sewer lines and manholes is considered a top priority by city officials because such leaks, referred to as “inflow and infiltration,” increase operating costs at Maryville’s new wastewater treatment plant.
The city’s budget includes $473,845 for the sewer main lining project and $100,000 for additional repairs uncovered by subsequent inspections. However, actual cost of lining the additional pipeways comes to $111,700.
Last November, the council approved a contract with Visu-Sewer for a manhole-lining project embracing 139 manholes at a cost of $160,875. That contract came in at $64,125 below the budgeted amount, which, pending council approval, leaves ample funding to cover the additional $11,700 in the proposed sewer main lining change order.
Monday’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
