At the February 6 Pickering City Council meeting, Alderman Kevin Leedom presented a bid for a two bay, one cantilever swing set in blue from Pro Playgrounds, Tallahassee, FL for $2,899.

Leedom is expecting another company’s bid. To keep the pricing, the council voted to accept the lower of the two bids. Leedom expects delivery within six weeks to two months. The set will have five swings, be eight foot tall and will be placed in the city park across from the community building and west of the post office.

Leedom wants to use some of the ARPA funds to pay for the swing set. He also wants to put trees on the park’s north side. He said the city needs to “invest in the kids.”

The update on the Mike Moyer cleanup included a guilty verdict, February 3, with Moyer having six weeks to clean up the property. Moyer told the court he was moving from town by the end of March. He has to appear, March 13, again at court. The council made plans to document the cleanup to take to court on that date.

The New Nodaway County Humane Society sent a six-month bill for $120 along with documentation of each visit they had made to Pickering within the time frame. Mayor Charles Smith said he is called before each visit so he can voice his concerns before they come. The aldermen reviewed the visit reports and approved paying the bill.

City Clerk Milt Sovereign reviewed the Hart Insurance, Hopkins, renewal of $1,580 for general liability and city property for one year. It was approved.

Sovereign brought a box of sewer supplies so he could show the council what he was spending the money on. He had two bills totaling $341.10 for seven bearings, and $386.16 for approximately five parts he uses to rebuild the sewer pumps. There were two sewer pump failures in January which will need to be rebuilt. To buy a new pump will cost the city $2,000 plus.

A stop sign needs to be replaced at Harmon and South Street. The sign and post have disappeared.