Transit system contract finalized

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

The future of the city’s transit system has taken a positive turn.

Charles City and Circle K Communications, along with NIACOG, officially reached an agreement to run the transit system in an 11-month contract that was finalized and approved at Monday’s City Council meeting.

A short–term contract extension continued service with the current provider through the end of this month. The new contract begins Aug. 1 and runs through June 30, 2019.

The hours of operation will change to 7 a.m. to 4 p.m, Monday through Friday. The previous hours were 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

“There was more demand for early morning,” said City Administrator Steve Diers.

The pricing for the rides remains unchanged.

Diers said the city hopes to offer county and regional service outside the city limits at some point, but does not currently. Diers said that may require additional buses and drivers. The transit system will accept rides just outside the Charles City limits.

The city will pay Circle K Communications $4,041.67 per month or $44,458 total for the 11-month period. An annual contract would come out to approximately $48,500.

Circle K Communications will be a subcontractor with the city to oversee the day-to-day transit operations. Circle K — owned by Tammy and Dan Elthon — will be responsible for scheduling and overseeing drivers, coordinating rides, taking phone calls, selling tickets, dispatching rides and handling all reporting to NIACOG. Circle K will also store the buses nightly.

NIACOG’s agreement with the city will remain the same in terms of handling all the ride reporting requirements to the DOT, providing the buses, providing access to insurance on the buses and maintenance. NIACOG will also share in half of the operating deficit with the city.

The biggest change will be that NIACOG will reimburse the city for a monthly expense. Historically the city collected ticket sales and forwarded those payments to NIACOG to offset the city’s operating expense.

The city will hire the drivers, provide required training and routine testing. The city will also lease, fuel, insure and provide maintenance on the buses.

Also at the meeting Monday evening, the council learned that the Hildreth Street Project, which entails the complete reconstruction of the street from Ninth Street to Gilbert Street, along with paving an alley and sidewalk, has encountered additional costs.

A change order was approved on Monday that deals with boring underneath Highway 14 to reach a water main. That cost is $29,753. There will also be other expenses as well on the project concerning the storm and sanitary sewers.

A second change order will need to be approved at an upcoming meeting that is associated with pipe specifications and separation requirements requested by the Department of Natural Resources. 

City Engineer John Fallis said the cost on the total contract on that second change order is $52,729. But he added that there will be $10,000 to $11,000 of pipe that won’t be put in as part of the contract so the total cost should be closer to $42,000.

Other action that was taken at the regular meeting is as follows:

– The city does not have a permitted or special use for a fire training facility, as requested by the Floyd County Firefighters Association, on property located in the 1100 block of E Street. City Attorney Brad Sloter added a definition for “fire training facility” as a special use so the city could award a building permit for the project. The third and final reading of this ordinance was adopted and ordered published.

– There was also a third and final reading of the ordinance prohibiting semi-trucks, trailers or motor trucks from parking in the city limits. That ordinance was also adopted and ordered published.

– The purchase of a fairway mower for the Parks and Recreation Department was approved for $24,000 from Precision Turf. The surface of the playground at Lions Field Pool will also be replaced for $13,718.12 by Inclusive Recreation after that resolution was also approved.

– Resolution 109-18 was approved to replace the sidewalks of the 100 block of N. Main. The project has a completion date of November 2.

– A portion of Grove Street, west of Illinois Street, will be vacated after a request by Bailey Nursery Company. A second reading of that ordinance was approved.