Bid preference on council agenda

Local preference in awarding public bids will again come before the Yuma City Council when it meets this week.

During the roundtable, the council will discuss various options it could take to help ensure more municipal contracts are awarded to local businesses.

At the Dec. 3 council meeting, City Attorney Steve Moore outlined a variety of potential options, including amending the city code and city charter. In addition, Councilman Doug Nicholls had offered to head a task force to come up with recommendations.

Local engineers, architects and contractors have appealed to the city for greater consideration in the awarding of bids, saying they've had to lay off much of their work force for lack of business with the economic downturn.

The roundtable will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Conference Room 190 at Yuma City Hall, One City Plaza.

Also during the roundtable, the council will hear updates on the Avenue A reconstruction and the 16th Street widening project.

The roundtable will be followed by the council's work session at 5 p.m. in the council chambers, during which discussion about local preference will be continued.

On Wednesday the council will hold its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers.

The agenda includes motions for several amendments to the Major Roadways Plan involving 1st Avenue from 1st to 18th streets, 8th Street from 1st Avenue to Castle Dome Avenue, the 5th Avenue alignment between 14th and 16th streets, the 14th Street alignment from 4th to 7th avenues, and the 5th Street alignment between Magnolia and 4th avenues.

The proposed amendments came out of a series of council briefings on the function and alignment of the roadway as a guide to possible future improve- ments.

Wednesday's meeting will include a farewell to Mayor Larry Nelson and Councilwoman Ema Lea Shoop, who were defeated in November's city election in their bid for another term in office. It also will be the final meeting for Nicholls, who had been appointed to complete the term of Ross Hieb after the councilman resigned in June.