The Blue Earth City Council is one step closer to the demolition of a building.

They reviewed bids for the demolition and asbestos abatement for the Avalon building during the March 4 council meeting.

City Administrator Kathy Bailey presented six different bids for the project.

“I?want the council to know that the low bid was a very reasonable one,”?she says.

The lowest bid came in at $36,500 from Blue Earth Environmental which is a firm based in Mankato.

That bid came in about $6,000 less than the next lowest bid and the highest bid came in at $89,000.

The firm would be able to complete both the demolition and the asbestos abatement.

Bailey informed council members that the firm is currently drafting a demolition plan which details the abatement, removal of appliances and removal of other waste left in the building.

“I have worked with this firm before and would be very comfortable working with them again,”?she adds.

She and the EDA?have reviewed the bids and recommend that council accepts the low bid from Blue Earth Environmental.

The council accepted the bid and gave Bailey the approval to move forward with a contract for the demolition of the building.

The council also spent some time discussing the topic of raising wastewater rates.

The rates are set to include the operation of the plant and sewer lines as well as recent projects.

It was previously forecasted that the rates would increase by 3 percent, which is right on track this year.

The base rate for monthly residential wastewater would be $16.28. The wastewater residential usage rate per thousand gallons of water usage is $4.87.

The commercial monthly wastewater flat rate is $20.56, and the commercial usage rate per thousand gallons of water usage is $5.97.

“We want to make sure we’re not getting too short of cash in our operating funds,”?Bailey adds.

The council approved the resolution to increase the wastewater rates.

In other business, the council set a date for a work session to discuss the ongoing land swap issue.

Since the swap has not been approved, a new ordinance will have to be drafted.

“We can take action at the next meeting to begin drafting the new ordinance,”?councilmember John Huisman says.

The work session to take place on March 18 will give the council a chance to visit the land swap topic again.