Quitman City Council members approved a bid for a sewer line replacement project in the city. There were five bids on the project.

The council did not go with the lowest bid of $285,879.75 from CT Drilling & Construction but chose the second-lowest bid of $299,547 from S-Co Inc. Other higher bids were received from CDS Utilities, Canary Construction and McKinney and Moore of Texas.

The city received a letter from engineer John C. Ringler of JCR Engineers LLC recommending the choice of S-Co. Reasons for not going with the lowest bid included missing dollar amounts on the bid form and CT Drilling’s failure to provide a required bid bond or cashier’s check in the amount of 5% of its total bid.

The council first disqualified the CT Drilling bid before voting unanimously to accept the recommended bid.

The council also approved five interlocal agreements with Wood County. Under the agreement for the Quitman Fire Department, the department will receive $53,663 from the county. The Quitman Fire Department responds to numerous calls outside the city limits, serving both city and county residents.

The agreement for Quitman Public Library is for $9,000. The library provides free services to patrons throughout the county, not just the city of Quitman.

Interlocal agreements were also approved for emergency management services and fire marshal services.

The council also approved an interlocal agreement with Wood County for the county to collect the city’s ad valorem taxes.

In another matter, the council approved a resolution authorizing the submission of a Texas Community Development Block Grant Program application. The city will compete with other entities for the grant money.

The city is committed to providing $26,250 in matching funds toward the application activities. The city further commits to dedicating no less than 51% of grant funds to activities identified by the state planning region as first priority.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, two local residents spoke to the council. Erin Mason addressed a safety and visibility problem at the one-way section of State Highway 154 (E. Goode St.) and Paul Street.

“The one-way sign is difficult to see when traveling east on 154 in the right lane. Drivers need a clear visible sign from all directions of approach,” Mason said. “The posted enforcement time does not reflect the school’s actual drop-off period or the school caution blinking yellow lights. The current 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. restriction misses the busiest and most important part of the morning.”

Sherri Hawley spoke to the council concerning the Sabine River Authority’s proposed commercial limited-use permit fee schedule.

“Sabine River Authority is requesting comments from the public in reference to their proposed increase in their permit fees. Their proposed increase could be as much as five times or more than the current fees. This extreme increase will be a detriment to our local economy,” Hawley said.