City OKs bid for alert system

A bid has been approved for a new early-warning emergency system for El Dorado and city officials have agreed that the next step is to request funding from the El Dorado Works Board, who administers the city’s one-cent sales tax for economic development, municipal infrastructure and quality-of-life projects.

On July 23, El Dorado City Council members unanimously voted to accept a bid of $198,000 to replace the existing warning system, which was installed two decades ago and has become faulty over the years.

The vote was based on a recommendation from Robert Edmonds, director of public works.

Edmonds said three telecommunications vendors had responded to requests for proposals (RFPs) and the bid tabulations ranged from $198,070.28 to $897,000. He recommended the low bid from Monroe (La.) Communications.

Council Member Dianne Hammond inquired about the expansive gap in bid amounts that were submitted for the same project specifications.

“It was this spec or greater. Some people offer other things like the ‘robo-dial’ and the mass-texting and I don’t think this system has that capability,” Edmonds said. “I think what we were

after was an outdoor warning system to replace the antiquated one we have and this is a more updated early-warning system.”

Added Council Member Paul Choate, “This will serve the purpose we see at hand.”

Discussions began in January about the need to replace the existing system, which includes eight sirens that are scattered about the city.

Marty Burns — of Ark-La-Tex Two Way, a telecommunications company that has been servicing the sirens for about a decade — told council members then that each unit contains four speakers and a thorough evaluation that was conducted in 2018 determined that a total of 10 speakers were out.

Only one of the eight sirens was operating at full capacity, Burns reported.

In April, Council Member Judy Ward said the siren — located near Tuckers Truck, Inc., in the 2200 block of West Hillsboro — had gone out since Burns’ report.

As a result of the 2018 inspection, Ark-La-Tex recommended that all eight early-warning emergency units be replaced but Burns said city officials did not render a decision at the time.

He again recommended a replacement in January.

“So, I guess if it’s the wishes of the council to replace the system, I can go ahead and draw up a bid and put it out for bid and open it and you’ll know exactly how much money you’d have to appropriate,” Edmonds told council members April 30.

They asked Edmonds then to prepare bid specs for a stationary system, rather than a rotating system.

When Edmonds returned with the bids last week, Ward inquired about the budget that had been for the new system and Edmonds said the budget estimate was $225,000. The low bid came in $27,000 under budget.

“Has money been approved or did we say we would come before the (El Dorado) Works Board? I know there had been some discussion about that,” Council Member Vance Williamson asked.

Edmonds reminded council members that they agreed to send out RFPs “to see what we need” and then present a funding request to the EWB.

“And with the council’s blessing, we will go to El Dorado Works to seek funding,” Edmonds said.

The vote was 7 - 0 to approve the low bid. Council Member Billy Blann was unable to attend the meeting.