Proposed Geneseo contract for water tower work falls through

WHAT WE KNOW: Last month, Geneseo aldermen directed city staff to work on a contract for rehabilitating the north water tower with Putnam County Painting. The firm doesn't use a containment structure around towers that would have saved Geneseo more than $200,000. WHAT'S NEW: City administrator Brandon Maeglin explained to aldermen Tuesday that Putnam County Painting was not willing to work with the city on a performance bond that would have guaranteed that the firm would meet its obligations.

"It's not going to work out," Maeglin said. City attorney Derke Price said Putnam County Painting cannot ignore a statute, although he said the bond would add 3% to the cost of a project. Maeglin said staff will take the project back to IMEG engineers to work on another solution.



WHAT'S NEXT: Chamber of Commerce director Zack Sullivan told aldermen he strongly supported the original Iowa Interstate Railroad route that's been the plan for many years and not the new alternative route following Burlington Northern Santa Fe lines through Galesburg, Colona and Barstow. He noted the alternative route adds an hour to the Chicago-Quad Cities commute and would upend years of planning. He said millions of dollars of prospective revenue are at stake.

Sullivan said he would be in Washington, D.C. April 8-11 with the Quad Cities Chamber advocating for high-speed rail.

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