Norton City Council approves purchases, leases and agreements for new service garage

The Norton City Council on April 7 approved a series of purchases and a fuel-supply agreement for the city's new service garage, using money within a previously authorized bond package.

Council members voted to approve direct purchases and contracts that city staff said were pulled out of the general construction contract in order to reduce markups and save money. Taken together, the items approved at the meeting total roughly $363,077.78 and are project expenses the council's staff said remain within the $4,000,000 in bonds authorized for the garage.

Ms. Keener, a council member who presented budget details during the meeting, said the original construction contract with Summit Construction was awarded at $3,075,000 and that a 10% contingency had increased that to about $3,375,000; items being purchased separately were within the broader $4,000,000 bond authorization. "The contract for the service garage was awarded at $3,075,000. There was a 10% contingency, which takes that contract up to 3.3," she said during the discussion.

The council approved the following items by roll call vote (each recorded as unanimous in the transcript):

- A Kubota zero-turn mower from Akron Tractor, not to exceed…