Ambulance substation closer to reality

Hopes of completing an ambulance substation on the city’s west side moved closer to reality after the Pontiac City Council approved a nearly $2.5 million bid at its meeting on Monday.

City Administrator Jim Woolford explained that Building Systems of Illinois came in with the low bid for the construction of the new substation. The Bloomington company’s bid of $2,427,500 was the lowest of the seven bids opened on March 31.

Woolford said he was told by Farnsworth Group, the engineering group hired by the city, has worked with Building Systems of Illinois on other substation projects. It was the engineer company’s recommendation to go with the lowed in this case.

Bids ranged from Building Systems’ low to Carlson Brothers high of $4,212,000. The bid covers site work, construction, most contingencies and most miscellaneous factors.

Woolford pointed out that the original projection was $2,318,704. It was also noted in the meeting packet that funding will be coming from Humiston Trust, Foreign Fire Tax board, a federal grant and from city funds. The list provided to the council indicates more than $3.25 million in available funding.

The council approved the bid by a 9-0 count. Ward 2 Alderman Gill was not present at the meeting.

Woolford added that a start date is not yet known, but that an end date of January 2027 has been projected.

Street Superintendent Chris Brock explained the need to update the brush pile pickup policy. He told the council that he is asking residents to separate the brush and to pile it for easier extraction. He stated that ideally, piles would be six feet long by six inches in diameter.

Brock also said that it is important not to use plastic bags in piling up brush. This creates problems when trying to turn the brush into mulch. Also, residents have been leaving trees among the brush. Brock said that trees require more time to collect, which takes away from collecting other brush piles. Trees also create other issues, such as trying to fit in the loading buckets.

The council approved the new policy by a 9-0 vote. Another fiscal matter involved the city’s role in helping pay for the refurbishing to the pool at the Pontiac Township High School natatorium.

The pool project is expected to cost $730,200. The Humiston Trust is donating $200,000, which is leaving the city and PTHS in charge of covering the outstanding $530,200. This breaks down $265,100 apiece. This will be paid off in increments of $132,550 in Fiscal Year 2027 and 2028.

In other matters, the council approved the purchase of a flow pump for the waste water treatment plant. The cost of the pump is $88,687.

A tub grinding contract renewal with Trost Tree Service was approved for $30,000.

Ordinance 2026-O-011 amends an existing code involves food trucks and carts. It calls for a fee of $200 for a one-year license, or a $25 fee for a single-use license.

The council approved Cheri Lambert to hold another two-year term on the Fire Pension Board.