Festus council approves $298,100 water-tank maintenance contract and ordinance

The Festus City Council on a unanimous vote approved a $298,100 contract with Viking Industrial Painting for a water storage tank maintenance and asset management program and passed Bill 48-19 to authorize the mayor to sign the contracts.

A city staff member told the council the city received multiple proposals on Feb. 25, 2025, and that the maintenance program would renew annually; “the first year's cost would be $298,100,” the staff member said. The staff report said the work covers the Twin Concrete, Scenic Tower, Pounds and Lowe’s Tower water storage tanks and includes maintenance and emergency engineering services.

Mayor Samuel F. Richards opened discussion and asked whether any council member wanted to carry the bill to the next meeting; no council member requested a delay. The council then suspended rules to allow a second reading in title only and recorded a roll-call vote that resulted in unanimous passage of Bill 48-19. Council members present voted yes for the ordinance and contract approval.

The council did not record a separate amendment to the contract during the meeting. Council members did not request additional studies or conditions on the award; the staff member noted the annual renewal structure and the interview process used to evaluate proposals.

The ordinance (Bill 48-19) as read in session authorizes the mayor to execute contracts with Viking Industrial Painting for the listed Festus water storage tanks and establishes an effective date for the ordinance. The council indicated the program will continue with annual renewals and that staff will manage execution under the contract.

Details provided at the meeting show the RFP date (Feb. 25, 2025), the scope covering specified towers, and the first-year cost; no further budget breakdown or contractor start date was specified during the meeting.