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Otsego council awards contract for Eightieth Street Safe Routes to School trail
Summary
The City of Otsego on July 14 awarded a contract to New Look Contracting Inc. to build a Safe Routes to School trail on Eightieth Street. The project is funded in part by a $460,000 grant; staff said the low bid exceeded the engineer's estimate and will increase the city’s net cost after easements.
The City of Otsego City Council voted July 14 to award a construction contract to New Look Contracting Inc. for the Eightieth Street Safe Routes to School trail, under resolution 2025-31. Councilmember Tina moved the resolution and Councilmember Ryan seconded; the motion passed.
The project, funded in part by a $460,000 Safe Routes to School grant, extends a trail on the north side of Eightieth Street from the Hunter Hills east plat line to MacGyver Avenue to connect with the city’s existing trail network and provide a safer route for students, city staff said. “This project runs from Hunter Hills, the east plat line over to MacGyver Avenue,” the city engineer said during the meeting.
City staff told the council that two bids were opened July 2 and that the low bid of $277,655 exceeded the engineer’s construction estimate of $214,000. Staff reported that the engineer’s estimate of the city’s net cost after engineering, easements and right-of-way work was $113,000, and that the comparable net cost based on bids is $189,000. The city engineer attributed some of the higher price to heavy summer rains affecting earthwork availability and bidder interest.
Council discussion included confirmation of the trail alignment and right-of-way needs. Staff noted the trail will connect to existing sidewalks and trails west of the east plat line and link to Beaudry Meadows Park.
The award authorizes New Look Contracting Inc. to construct the Eightieth Street Safe Routes to School trail for the bid amount of $277,655 under resolution 2025-31. The contract was accepted by council motion; the meeting transcript records the motion and that the vote passed. The council did not identify, in the provided portion of the transcript, a detailed funding breakdown beyond the grant amount and staff’s engineer/bid estimates.
Councilmembers and staff said they want the project completed this year so it will be available for use in the fall and again next spring when children use the route to walk to school.
