Council adopts emergency resolutions to lease postage meter and advertise bids for street work

The City Council voted unanimously to adopt two emergency resolutions, one to lease a new postage meter and another authorizing the mayor to advertise for bids and accept the lowest and best bid for a street improvement project. Both measures were moved and passed on emergency and on final readings with five affirmative votes and no nays.

Tom described the street resolution as “the standard resolution authorizing the mayor to advertise for bids … accept the lowest and best bid and then enter into a contract for with that entity,” saying the council’s engineer had prepared the bid package and the administration wanted to move the project into procurement.

Council members discussed the list of street projects included in the 2026 budget that the bid package will cover, naming Holton, Jefferson (Brunell to the end), Beach (including a parking lot patch from Fulton across the ball park), Fulton, Walnut, Wabash, Potter, Highland, Maplewood and other smaller repairs. The council noted the budgeted amount for the 2026 street projects totals $471,000.

The council also approved Resolution 2026-5, authorizing the mayor to enter into a lease for a postage meter; that item was treated as an emergency and passed on a unanimous voice vote.

All procedural motions to place each resolution on emergency and to adopt them on final passed 5–0. The council’s action authorizes procurement steps but does not yet commit to a specific contractor; the administration will proceed with advertising, evaluate bids, and return with a contract award under the authority granted.

The council later moved into executive session to discuss a possible property purchase and indicated there would be no immediate action reported following that closed session.