Street project bid $119K under estimate
The Blue Earth City Council got a pleasant surprise at their meeting last Tuesday when the bids were announced for the Tenth and Moore Street improvement project.
City Engineer Bill Sayre of Bolton and Menk reported that all six bids received were under the engineer’s estimated cost of $628,686.
The low bid of $509,194 from Cink Excavating was accepted by the council.
“There isn’t a definite start date in the bid,” Sayre told the council. “However, the contractor has indicated they would be here in two weeks.”
Sayre added that the plan is to have the underground work and the aggregate roadbed in place by the end of November.
“That is all dependent on the weather, of course,” he adds.
Sayre also had a request to increase the amount of the engineer’s contract for the project. Because of the increase in the amount of work required, he asked that Bolton and Menk’s payment be increased from $32,000 to $42,000 for the design and bidding services, and from $40,000 to $60,000 for the actual construction phase services.
The council voted to increase the contract amounts.
Sayre also gave an update on the Eighth and Moore project, telling the council that the first layer of asphalt has been installed.
“There is still another finish layer that will be added next spring,” he says.
In other business at their regular meeting, the council:
• Voted 6 to 1 not to accept a proposed garbage dumpster ordinance. It would have limited dumpsters to storage in back yards and only for limited amounts of time. Councilman Dick Maher says the city already has a garbage ordinance and it can be used to enforce use of the dumpsters. Councilman Les Wiborg was the lone yes vote for the ordinance adoption.
– Decided to postpone action on another ordinance, this one limiting the number of non-related persons who can share one rental unit to five. It also would enact rental code rules. The council debated whether such an ordinance was necessary, and how it would be enforced.
– Voted yes to vacating a partial block of North Moore Street, with the property split between the two adjoining property owners, Butch Erichsrud and Dick Maher. Councilman Maher abstained from voting on the passage of the ordinance change.
– Voted to authorize the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District to implement the Wetlands Conservation Act for wetlands inside the city limits.
– Voted to table action on a Planning Commission recommendation for a conditional use permit. The permit was for United Hospital District to remove sidewalks along one block where their new parking lot will be located. Also in the lot will be the ambulance garage and an oxygen tank. Maher said he felt the council should have a chance to look over the site before voting to authorize the permit.
– Voted to accept the low bid for putting in sod and eight trees along the Eighth and Moore Street project. Weerts Construction of Winnebago had the low bid of $13,894.
– Accepted a bid of $7,540 from Meyers Painting and Decorating for painting the roof of the Tee Hanger at the airport.