Council approves change in taxi, van program

The city's taxi coupon program and the handicapped accessible van service will continue to operate with no disruption in the service when M-NOD Taxi and Shuttle takes over the operation of the handicapped accessible van on April 1.

The Nevada City Council assured Nevada residents who depend on these services that both services will continue when they voted 5-0 Tuesday night to pass an emergency ordinance accepting the bid from M-NOD Taxi and Shuttle to provide one-way rides within the Nevada city limits for $6 for both taxi and handicapped van transportation.

Don Meisenheimer, M-NOD owner, said that he will accept one taxi coupon, which can be purchased from the city by qualified individuals for a discounted rate of $2.50, for a one-way ride within the city limits. Any travel outside the city limits will be charged at a rate of $2 per mile.

Only people who live inside the city limits are eligible to purchase the taxi coupons.

The city had solicited bids from the Vernon County Ambulance District and M-NOD to operate the handicapped van and the Ambulance District did not submit a bid this year.

Pat Chambers, On My Own, told the council that his organization was at a meeting with the city in February and told the city that if the opportunity arose they would like an chance to bid on operating the van.

"I'm disappointed that we weren't allowed to participate in the bidding," Chambers told the council before they voted to accept the bid from M-NOD.

Chambers told the council that this is the only public transportation system in this area with a handicapped accessible van.

Under the terms of the contract with M-NOD the vans priority use is for in-town transportation and can only be used to take someone outside the city limits if it is not needed for in-town trips.

Meisenheimer told the council that because handicapped van transportation is so valuable a service that he recommends that it not be taken more than two miles beyond the city limits.

In the past the van has been used to transport people to Butler for dialysis treatments.

Meisenheimer told the council that he is having someone come to Nevada to provide training on the operation of the lift and other equipment on the van.

However, there will be a difference in the personnel who operate the van. Meisenheimer said that the drivers will neither be EMTs nor Red Cross certified.

"If they (the passengers) are sick, they need an ambulance, not a taxi," he said.

And if something occurs while someone is being transported in the van, Meisenheimer said that would take longer for him to stop the van and perform CPR than to drive to the hospital.

"We're only five minutes from the away," he said.

The city pays for 50 percent of the cost of the taxi coupon program and a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation pays for 50 percent.

Councilman Russ Kemm said that he would like for the city to talk to the Vernon County Commission about the county providing some funding so the service can be extended to the entire county.

In other business the council:

* Approved the appointment of Dr. Ron Jones to a four-year term on the airport board.

* Approved the appointment of Lisa Christy to a four-year term on the planning commission.

* Voted 5-0 to approve a request from the park department solicit bids for tee shirts for the 2008 soccer program; baseball caps and T-shirts for the 2008 youth baseball program; tee shirts for the 2008 Blastball program and T-shirts for the 2008 Fun With Sports program.

* Voted 5-0 to accept the bid of $1798.80 from Prosource One for 3,000 pounds of Roots 15-3-8 fertilizer for the golf course, as well as, the following bids from Turfgrass Inc. for chemicals for the golf course: $808.50 for Emerald BASF fungicide; $615 for Daconill Ultrex Syngenta; $1,800 for 525 gallons of CPR Milliken Amendment; $1155 for 300 pounds of Nutri Rational 19.1.5 Milliken Amendment; $712.50 for 950 pounds HHI 7.7.7 fertilizer; $8150 for 400 gallons of Duplex Precision Soil Conditioner; $622.50 for 750 pounds of Anderson pre-emergent; $4,250 for 2,000 pounds Cascade Plus Gran. Precision Wetting Agent; $1714.30 for 10 pounds of Tourney Valent fungicide; $6,200 for Heritage TL Link Pak Syngenta fungicide; $3,690 for 10 gallons Primo Max Link Pak Syngenta; $5,880 for 7,900 pounds of 30.2.12 w/Durton Anderson fertilizer and $3,000 for 250 gallons of Glyphsosate Pro IV Prokoz Herbicide.

* Voted 3-2 to adopt Resolution No. 1218 approving the infrastructure boards recommendations for $496,066 in street improvement projects for 2008 using money from the city's 1/2-cent transportation sales tax. Bill Edmonds, Russ Kemm and Bill Gillette voted yes and Mike Hutchens and Tim Wells voting no. Hutchens said that he would prefer that the money to improve Spring Street be used on neighborhood streets in town.

"Some neighborhoods in town get overlooked," he said. Projects include: South Spring Street from Millington Lane south, $100,000; Cedar Street from Austin to Wight, $60,000; Tucker Street from Austin to Cherry, $26,284; Tucker Street, from Austin to Cherry, $27,000; Tucker Street from Ashland, north to the dead end, $81,735; Lynn Street from Walnut to Hickory, $105,907; West Street from Austin to Wight, $95,140. All of the projects include applying a hot mix overlay and installing new curbs and gutters.

* Voted 3-2, with Kemm and Gillette voting no to pass on first reading a special ordinance waiving the greens fees for members of the Nevada High School boys and girls golf teams during the high school golf season for playing times other than regular practice times.

* Gave final approval to a special ordinance accepting the low bid of $622,839 from Rosetta Construction LLC, Springfield, to line the city's west interceptor sewer line with a plastic insert to stop the infiltration of rain water. Allegier Martin, the city's engineering consultant, had estimated the cost at $1 million.

* Voted 5-0 to approve extending the city's contract with DSWA Certified Public Accounts to complete the 2006 city audit and to do the 2007 city audit during the last two weeks of April 2008. Both audits will be conducted for the same price.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance releasing and concluding NID assessments on lot 12 of Ashland Estates of Stutesman Realty Inc.