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Sidney board approves routine vouchers, awards seasonal contracts and schedules grievance‑day public hearing
Summary
The Town of Sidney board approved multiple voucher batches and seasonal contracts for mowing and fuel, voted to publish a local law establishing an annual grievance day, discussed EV charger and camera installs, and heard public comments on a potential permanent bridge, spotty cell coverage and Amish‑area safety signage.
The Town of Sidney board convened and handled routine financial business, awarded seasonal contracts and moved to publish a local law establishing an annual “grievance day.” The meeting also included updates on EV charger and camera installations and a public comment urging action on a bridge, cell service and signage for Amish families.
The board approved multiple voucher batches for town funds after reading line items aloud and taking voice votes. Individual motions were made, seconded and carried for the general fund vouchers (listed as 25-103 through 25-137), a General Bond entry (25-6) and various other fund batches; specific line-item amounts were read into the record. The highway and CN hospital voucher groups were also presented and approved as part of the consent process.
Highway department business dominated discussion: officials reported that bids were opened April 9 for mowing, diesel and heating fuel and for pavement projects. The mowing contract was awarded to Deun Contracting and the board accepted a fixed-season fuel bid from Moravo after members said fixed pricing would limit volatility. Exact per‑gallon prices and multiple bidders were read into the record during the bid opening; the board voted to accept the recommended vendors.
Board members discussed town infrastructure projects. Staff said EV chargers will be installed at the hospital and at town hall (four chargers at each site), noted a modest hardware cost for chargers, and recommended opening separate accounting and payment processing for charger revenue. The board also reviewed plans to add 180‑degree cameras in hospital areas and to upgrade power‑over‑ethernet switches and outside wireless access points to support chargers and monitoring.
On new business, the board reviewed proposed local law language titled “Grievance Day of the Town of Sydney” (identified in the draft as local law number one‑225, dated April 10, 2025) and voted to publish notice and proceed toward adoption. Members asked staff to confirm the exact calendar language with assessor staff before publication so the date listed in the public notice is correct.
During public comment, resident Bob of Civic Center raised three items: he asked the town to explore making a temporary county bridge on Baker Street permanent (or otherwise ensure reliable emergency access), pressed the town to pursue remedies for poor cellular coverage in Sidney Center, and requested signage warning motorists about horse‑drawn vehicles in areas with Amish families. A town official responded that county temporary bridges are typically reused, not left permanently, and said an initial estimate for a 40‑foot pedestrian bridge is roughly $250,000; the official said the town has reached out to the county IDA to pursue funding to reduce the local share.
The board moved into a brief executive session at the end of the public meeting to discuss a potential truck‑box purchase and a contract matter; members said no votes would be taken upon return. The meeting closed after the board entered executive session.
Actions recorded at the meeting included multiple voucher approvals, award of mowing and fuel contracts, a motion to publish the grievance‑day local law for public hearing, and a motion allowing free admission for veterans with proper ID at an upcoming event. The transcript contains the motions and voice votes as described above.
