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West Fargo awards $135,808 contract to replace 27-year-old transfer station scale; staff notes timeline and funding source
Summary
The City Commission approved a $135,808 contract with Prairie Scales to replace the transfer station scale, which public works staff described as nearing the end of useful life. Funding comes from project 09/1961 (SRF loans and city funds); installation targeted for 2026 with about two to three weeks of construction.
The West Fargo City Commission approved a $135,808 contract on Oct. 20 to replace the transfer station scale, a piece of equipment public works staff said is about 27 years old and no longer reliably passing inspections.
Matt Anvicker, senior director of public works, told the commission inspectors indicated the existing scale requires a full replacement. The replacement was included within project 09/1961, a public works expansion project that combined SRF loan funds and city funds; the project allocation included $150,000 for the scale.
Anvicker asked the commission to award the contract to Prairie Scales for $135,808 and said the city received two bids. He said the work, if approved, would be scheduled for 2026 and that construction would take about two to three weeks.
"Our transfer—the scale out there is about 27 years old," Matt Anvicker said. He described the scale as the mechanism the city uses to weigh incoming loads for contractors and businesses, and to calculate billing to waste-haul vendors.
Commissioners discussed options to extend the life of a future scale by enclosing it. Commissioner Olson asked whether enclosure would lengthen the equipment’s lifespan; Anvicker said an enclosure likely would extend life but that site constraints and operational needs (truck clearance) would affect feasibility. Anvicker also noted the scale’s end-wall replacement and sidewalk settling were factored into the recommended options.
Commissioner Olson moved to approve awarding the contract to Prairie Scales for $135,808; Commissioner Zundell seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
Staff recorded the contract amount as $135,808, noted the internally budgeted $150,000 allocation in project 09/1961, and listed funding sources as SRF loans plus city funds. The city plans to install the new scale in 2026 and to evaluate enclosure options for longer-term protection.
