Back to the Drawing Board.

The City Council Public Works Committee voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to reject all bids submitted for the proposed street improvements to expand a stretch of Airport Drive just west of Grand to three lanes and the construction of Hornback Avenue.

The low bids of approximately $180,000 for the project were not only above the $120,000 budgeted for the job, but an additional $30,000 may be needed to cover a portion of the drainage ditch on Airport Drive. With some adjustments, a total of $200,000 is now estimated to be the eventual cost. Southwest Missouri Bank has committed $75,000 toward the project but that amount was included in the original budgeted amount.

The rejection of bids was mainly caused by the fact that the drainage ditch improvements were not included in the bid specs. The Committee felt it was unfair to award the bid and then negotiate for the additional work.

The Committee postponed discussion of the Building Maintenance Code at the request of property owners in attendance.

The subject of the City policy of hirin’ an outside firm to act as City Engineer was raised again at the Public Works Committee meetin’. Committee member Lujene Clark questioned whether it is wise for the same firm to work both sides of the street.

In this case Tri-State Engineering, which is the City engineerin’ contractor, also is the firm hired by SMB to engineer their site bein’ developed on Airport Drive and Grand. Clark was quick to point out she was not critical of Tri-State, just the situation.

The City’s three-year contract with Tri-State is comin’ up for renewal this spring. Currently the City pays for a set amount of hours that comes to about $60,000 a year. Tri-State rents an office from the City in the Engineerin’ buildin’ and keeps it staffed. No doubt more discussion to follow.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

by Tom & Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

I am currently stationed on Suwon R.O.K. Airbase, Korea. I purchased a beater, or "hoopdee," as many of us in the military do. It ran great for two and a half months, until a lieutenant borrowed my car.

When he returned it ran on only two cylinders. I immediately changed the spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, all to no avail. The car does not overheat, so I did not suspect a blown head gasket. All the spark plugs fire, but it still only runs on cylinders one and four.

I drove it to Osan Airbase car care center, and they say that it needs a head and valve job. The car is a 1986 Chrysler LeBaron turbo. Please give me some advice-Dan (Captain, U.S. Army)

RAY: I advise you not to lend your car to anymore of those lowly lieutenants, Dan.

TOM: When you have two adjacent cylinders (two and three) that aren’t firing, that almost always means that the head gasket has been blown between those two cylinders. That’s a classic symptom.

RAY: So you probably need a head gasket, and you need to have the head machined. And that’s not cheap. How much is it?

TOM: Well, it depends. Are you paying in South Korean won or U.S. dollars?

RAY: In U.S. dollars it would cost you between $500 and $1,000 retail.

TOM: But you don’t have to pay retail, Dan. Remember, you’re a captain! So I’d pull rank on the guy who borrowed your car. Tell Lieutenant Leadfoot that once he finishes latrine duty, he can start practicing his head-gasket-changing-skills... "on that ’86 LeBaron, soldier!"