OSHA and street issues fill City meeting time
By ALLAN TINKER
With worker liability always a concern, City Maintenance Tom Giese received instruction from the McClusky City Council on his work with excavations for the city. “Stay out of the hole,” they told him.
Discussion concerning whose liability it was, excavator or city when someone got hurt, either by collapse or gas. Cages are a requirement for worker protection in most instances, but a costly addition to excavation firms in small towns or rural areas.
Then, the excavator needs to find someone to do the work in the holes, not use the city’s worker without proper equipment, the council agreed.
Giese is also going to be equip-ped with the proper OSHA compliant fluorescent jacket in the proper reflective class designation. He was told to pick one up wherever they are available. Council member Kurt Mortenson spoke on the jacket issues that he works with for NDDOT and the reasons for the requirements. Motion passed without objections for the jacket purchase issue.
Mortenson also requested repair or replacement and addition of lights in the fire station. The city agreed to contact Jason Parsons, electrician, for advice and costs.
The 2014 police contract was approved for a cost of $26,000 plus $3,000 for the County Task Force salary contribution; the ND Rural Water membership amount for $200 was also approved for payment.
Russ Hoffer, local citizen, appeared with information, comments and suggestions. He spoke on the value of preserving streets and avoiding damage by not letting holes collect water.
Hoffer noted that not many contractors are going to do any more than what their contract requires them to do, so it is up to the city to ask that the repairs are done correctly.
Hoffer noted that when holes are filled without mounding, creating “divots,” the natural settling and moisture accumulation deteriorates the setting and allows for collapse and further damage of the streets and curbs.
