By Paige Gurgainers
Due to a recent round of thefts at the baseball complex in Springhill, the city council has accepted a bid for a new 16 x 24 metal building to store future equipment.
“First of all, they cut the lock and took an old golf cart. They locked it back up and put another lock on it. They have since come back and taken the lawn mower and the drag,” said Mayor Ray Huddleston.
According to Springhill Police Department Chief Will Lynd, they have only been able to recover the drag machine.
“We don’t know when all of that stuff was stolen. Nobody had been using it. We happened to see people riding around on one that looked like that. We were able to recover it,” said Lynd. “If it’s gone for more than 48 hours, the chances of getting it back are pretty slim. I hate to say it, but the rest is probably gone.”
Two were arrested in connection with the theft, but Lynd said they have not been able to prove who originally stole the items from the complex and sold it to those individuals.
Huddleston said, “I am thinking we are going to have to buy another mower and I am thinking we don’t need to leave it out there unless we buy a metal building big enough to hold this equipment and put it inside the complex.”
The mayor received a bid from Hol-Mont for a new 72” Exmart zero turn mower for $11,421 and that it would be under state contract.
The council also considered bids for the metal building. They received three bids with Stanford Builders bidding at $12,250, Price Built coming in at $11,500 and Fortified Building Solutions being the lowest bid at $10,980.
They approved Phase III and Phase IV for downtown sidewalk repairs with Phase III being $39,000 and Phase IV being $33,500. The council also approved a quote from Scott Equipment in the amount of $7954.13 for repairs to a Case Backhoe and approved the February 2024 monthly vendor bills totaling $115,155.61.
Another item on the agenda included consideration of the city attorney’s recommendation to go into executive session to discuss litigation matters, but this item will possibly be moved to next month’s agenda.
Huddleston said, “We were going to consider the city attorney’s recommendation to go into executive session to discuss litigation matters, but the city attorney and I talked today, and we don’t have enough information together yet to call that executive session – maybe next month.”