By Anton Riecher
By a 3-1 vote, the Devine City Council approved hiring Maguire Iron to refurbish the city’s major ground level water storage tank near Warhorse Stadium, and commit to a 10-year contract to maintain the structure.
The action during the council’s Sept. 3 special meeting followed through on an earlier decision to abandon a $2.1 million plan to completely replace the 72-year-old structure that serves as the city’s largest water storage facility.
District 5 Council Member Debbie Randall, an ardent supporter of the replacement project, was alone in rejecting the refurbishment proposal. District 2 Council Member Michael Hernandez was absent from the meeting.
The motion by District 3 Council Member Jeff Miller, seconded by District 1 Council Member Ray Gonzales, called for breaking the cost of the renovation over a two-year payment plan. The maintenance contract does not include the city’s elevated storage tanks.
“I don’t want to marry ourselves to a single provider for 10 years,” District 5 Council Member Josh Ritchey said.
The refurbishment project calls for replacing the tank roof which has suffered extensive damage owing to years of chlorine exposure. The project also calls for extensive interior renovation of the steel tank walls.
A second bid anticipated from a contractor who inspected the tank last week was delayed. Mayor Butch Cook expressed concern that postponing the project further might mean problems due to seasonal demands on the water system.
During a lengthy budget workshop, the council reviewed…
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