Isanti council awards site work and well‑drilling bids for Well No. 4; includes optional fine‑sediment screen

The Isanti City Council voted to accept a site‑work bid and to award the drilling contract for Well No. 4, with an alternate screen option to address possible fine‑sediment at the new well.

Staff recommended awarding the drilling work despite receiving only one driller bid, saying the single bidder was a respected contractor able to meet the project’s timeline. “If we want to get it done in a year, we’re actually fairly happy with this bid,” a staff member told the council. The staff presentation said combining the awarded site work with the drilling bid leaves the project about $123,000 below the city’s most recent cost estimate and roughly $500,000 less than the amount the city had pre‑budgeted.

The council was also briefed on an alternate “screen” for the well designed to handle fine sediment if it is encountered after test pumping. “We just want to have preplanned for that as an alternate to deal with if it comes in,” the staff member said. Staff explained the need for the screen arises when test pumping shows sand or fine silt that would damage pumps or reduce capacity; the decision to use the screen occurs after drilling and test pumping. A council member asked whether pumps in existing wells could be retrofitted with screens; staff said retrofits were evaluated and in at least two existing wells retrofit was not viable because installing liners or screens after the fact would reduce well diameter and create suction problems.

Council Member Heaman moved to accept the site‑work bid (Pemmer Company) and later moved to award the drilling work including Alternate 1 (the screen) as laid out by staff; both motions passed on voice votes. The council recorded the well‑related motion as approved without recorded dissent.

The staff recommendation emphasized the project’s scheduling constraints: well drillers are often booked a year out, and securing a contractor who can meet the timeline was a key factor in the decision. Staff also noted the city already pays to haul sand removed from other wells and said proactive planning for sediment issues could limit future operating costs.

Council discussion included practical questions about how detection of sand is made (test pumping) and who determines whether to use the alternate screen (the driller with input from the engineer and city staff). Staff said the screen option is intended to be used only if test results show it is needed; the alternate was included as a separately bid line item so the city could decline it if not required.

The council did not set an implementation date in the public discussion; staff described the award as the next step to keep the project on a one‑year schedule.