Council moves to fix tornado damage

CELINA - The Iowa-based firm that installed Montgomery field's lights nearly two decades ago will return in the coming weeks to repair the system damaged in the Nov. 5 tornado.

City council members at this week's regular meeting unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing city safety service director Tom Hitchcock to award a $99,973 contract to Musco Lighting Co. for the work. The quote includes material, labor, lift, freight and installation and states delivery to the job site to be about 30 to 45 days after approval of the order.

The expenditure, to come from the park fund containing a balance of $100,000, should largely be reimbursed by the city's insurance company, mayor Jeff Hazel told councilors. Councilors suspended the three-public readings rule and passed the legislation as an emergency measure to expedite the project.

Musco was the sole bidder. As part of the overall quote, Bender Electrical Contracting of St. Henry will perform underground electrical work for $5,223, Hazel pointed out.

"Our insurance company didn't like the first bids that we got from Musco who did the original lights back in 2000 or 2001," Hazel said. "The insurance company proceeded to look for somebody else to quote on those and could not find anybody."

Communicating directly with Musco, the insurance company negotiated the bid accepted by councilors, according to Hazel.

"This is what they do. They're very good at what they do," Hazel said.

Among the materials to be used in the repair project, Musco will install 37 1,500-watt metal halide lamps. An upgrade to LED lights would have escalated the overall quote to $255,000, Hazel said about the Iowa firm.

"I think that as much as we like that, that's going well above what I believe is appropriate for the city," Hazel said, adding LED would have provided the same "candlepower" as the metal halide lamps. LED lights would have saved the city only about $400 a year on energy costs, he said.

Most night games requiring lighting are played by the Grand Lake Mariners and Wright State Lakers, Hazel noted.

"But for the most part, city teams that we have out there - the high school teams I would say - don't really necessarily get into the night. But I would tell you at the same time, it's a great field," Hazel said, pointing to the new turf in place and the construction of a new building at the field.

Workers are scrambling to get the new complex completed as soon as possible. The Bulldogs are scheduled to begin the season on March 24 at home against Ayersville.

The nonprofit Celina Baseball Association led a fundraiser to replace the concession stand, press box and dugout. The group also wants to build a second batting cage that would be indoors.

Celina Aluminum Precision Technology Inc. earlier this year presented Celina baseball player Ethan Piper and head coach Andy Mikesell with a $20,000 check to help repair and upgrade Montgomery Field.

The CAPT Baseball Complex at Montgomery Field will be the new baseball home for Celina High School, Wright State University-Lake Campus and the Mariners.

Also, city council members in January passed two ordinances, one to accept a $25,392 donation from William Montgomery and the second to award a contract to sole bidder DWA Recreation (c/o David Williams & Associates Inc.) to install handicapped-accessible bleachers.

Though the ordinance reads that William Montgomery has committed to making a private donation for the bleachers, Montgomery clarified the nature of the $25,392 contribution in a letter to the editor, saying the donation is "coming from the Montgomery Field Fund of the Mercer County Civic Foundation."

This week Hazel said Dunham's Sporting Goods, located in the Lakewood Village Shopping Center along Havemann Road, will hold a grand reopening at 9 a.m. Friday.

"They've had a little road to come since the tornado. They got hit very, very badly as well," he told councilors. "That's pretty exciting to have that. They love Celina. We certainly love them being here."

Dollar General officials, though, still have not decided what their plans are for the store destroyed on Havemann Road, Hazel said.

"The Dollar General's been hit twice in the same location, once in 2011 and once in 2017, so I think that's going to bear on their decision," he said.