ANGRY ALDERMAN SAVES JACKSON SOME $1,300

JACKSON -- Alderman Dave Reiminger was miffed at last week's Board of Aldermen meeting. It turns out, his pique may have saved the city $1,300.

Last week, the board was asked to approve paying $1,300 to the St. Louis firm of Hastings & Chivetta for an artist's rendering of the city's proposed multipurpose building. Reiminger insisted the drawing should have been covered under the original $20,000 contract.

He huffed and puffed, but the Board of Aldermen went ahead and OKed the money for the artist's rendering, with Reiminger dissenting. Board members reasoned that the extra money may have been necessary because the city scaled back the project from the original $17-20 million to $10-11 million. Another member of the board said he didn't want to hold up a multi-million dollar project over $1,300.

Reiminger was not persuaded.

"The part that irritated me is, I can't imagine an architect building a house for you and not being able to show you an elevation view," Reiminger said later.

Dale Rauh, chairman of the feasibility study committee, didn't think the contract covered renderings either.

But because Reiminger requested a letter of explanation from the architects, the city went back and reviewed the fine print in the contract and found provision for an "illustrative drawing of the exterior appearance."

"Whatever that is, that's what we want," said City Administrator Steve Wilson.

It's possible the city will want a more detailed drawing than that terminology will bring them.

"We want to see if that is all we need," Wilson said. "If it's not everything the committee and board needs we will go ahead and go the extra money."

In April 1998, the city approved a $20,000 contract with Hastings & Chivetta to conduct a feasibility study of the proposed multipurpose building. A 66-person committee was formed to provide input into the type of building the city needs.

As it stands now, the building will include a basketball court with seating for 3,000-4,000 people and two swimming pools.

The drawings of the proposed building are expected to be submitted within 45 days, Wilson said.