Polo council to seek bids on Congress School asbestos abatement

POLO – Polo city officials have found that their initial belief that asbestos abatement at Congress School wouldn’t be necessary before demolition is incorrect.

On July 1, Polo City Council members unanimously agreed to bid out asbestos abatement for Congress School, which the city purchased in late 2023.

Asbestos was found in part of the roof, in the floors of a couple rooms on the second floor and a few other places, Public Works Director Kendall Kyker said.

“If that [roof] collapses, that whole place becomes asbestos, and then the cost of taking that building down, it’s times three,” Alderman Randy Schoon said.

The city has not yet sought bids for the demolition of Congress School, and so it isn’t sure how much it will cost, City Clerk Sydney Bartelt said.

The city expects the cost to mitigate the asbestos will be about $80,000, Bartelt said. An engineering firm will have to write the bid specifications for the asbestos abatement, she said.

On Aug. 7, 2023, council members unanimously voted to spend up to $15,000 on the purchase price of Congress School, plus $2,500 for related expenditures, according to meeting minutes.

Congress School is located at 208 N. Congress Ave.

Changes to stop signs, no-parking areas OK’d

Effective Aug. 1, several yield signs in Polo will become stop signs.

The Polo City Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance adding stop signs at four intersections and creating a no-parking zone on Cranbrook Lane

Stop signs will be added on East Colden Street at South Jefferson Avenue, South Jackson Avenue at East Colden Street, South Prairie Avenue at East Colden Street, and North Cherry Avenue at West Dixon Street.

Both sides of the length of Cranbrook Lane starting at South Barber Avenue and extending to the west will become a no-parking zone.

The changes were suggested by Police Chief Matt Coppotelli and Kyker after their review of traffic patterns, traffic violations and crashes throughout the city.