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Vienna awards cleanup contract for Johns Manville site

Photo by Jeffrey Saulton Voting in favor of the bid from Jimmy Harper Construction to remove contaminated waste at the Johns Manville site are, from left, Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp, Recorder Cathy Smith and Vienna City Councilmen Roger Bibbee and Mike Elam.

VIENNA — Bids for the removal of contaminated materials at the former Johns Manville plant and an amendment to put an ordinance in line with changes in state law were the main items for Vienna City Council Thursday.

Two sealed bids were received for the removal of debris from the Johns Manville plant, now known as Spencer’s Landing.

Mayor Randy Rapp said the bids were opened on April 19 during a meeting of the budget and finance committee.

Jimmy Harper Construction bid $27.13 per ton and Empire Builders bid $85 per ton.

In a unanimous vote, council awarded the contract to Jimmy Harper Construction.

Council also approved a general fund revision to help pay for the waste removal.

Amy Roberts, finance director, said the money was being moved from the 2015-2016 budget carryover. She said the remainder of that money will go to capital reserves. Council approved the revision in a unanimous vote.

Councilman Jim Leach said the next step in the project is needed for the Spencer’s Landing project to move forward.

“When the decision to buy this was made we inherited a mess, but it was a mess the city had to take,” he said. “This cleanup that’s going to start right now is huge and it’s the biggest obstacle; clean up their mess so we can proceed in orderly fashion to finish this up.”

Leach said no decision has been made on the city’s brownfield grant application for the site.

In a unanimous vote, council voted to amend city ordinance 153.07 regarding fees for searches and compilation of records.

City Attorney Russ Skogstad said the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals issued a ruling allowing cities to charge a search fee when information was requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

The West Virginia Legislature later passed a bill to eliminate the fee.

“Our ordinance was passed when we could charge a fee,” he said. “Now there has been a change in state law so to avoid confusion for people who may want to make a request for records and think there is a fee when there is none.”

Skogstad said the amendment is needed to put the city ordinance in line with current state law.

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In Other Business…

* Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp said the city’s Arbor Day celebration will take place at 10 a.m. today in the community building parking lot near the Vienna city swimming pool. A tree will be planted at the Jackson Park picnic shelter and reception will follow at the Vienna Senior Center.

* On Saturday there will be a drug take back day at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

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