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Council awards contract to SEH for five‑year levee inspection, cites Army Corps certification requirement
Summary
The council approved hiring Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) to perform a deeper five‑year levee inspection to maintain Army Corps of Engineers certification; staff said the last full inspection was missed and the work will be paid from restricted reserve funds.
The Crookston City Council on March 17 authorized Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) to perform the city’s five‑year levee inspection program intended to meet Army Corps of Engineers certification requirements.
City staff said the work is a more extensive study than the routine annual inspection and will include review of past data, structural assessment where the river’s bends create undercutting, and recommendations for reinforcement to address erosion and root damage. Staff described the inspection as necessary to keep the levee system Army Corps‑certified; losing that certification could affect eligibility for FEMA and other federal funding.
Staff told the council SEH had capacity to perform the work and that legal review confirmed restricted reserve funds are eligible to pay for the inspection. The meeting packet lists a lump‑sum fee of $90,000 for the base inspection; the transcript also references an additional lump‑sum figure for optional video or televised drain inspections shown as “57.08” in the record (amount not specified in the transcript). Staff said the city can provide its own video equipment and supply the footage to SEH to avoid the additional charge.
Council members pressed staff about the inspection schedule and last full inspection. Staff gave inconsistent date references in the discussion: at different points they said a similar, deeper inspection had been done in either 2017 or 2018, and elsewhere indicated SEH’s most recent work for the city was in 2021 or 2022. Staff said SEH told them the city is within a grace period but must submit the deep‑dive report to remain certified.
Council members also asked whether routine maintenance — such as removing vegetation that can destabilize riprap — was the city’s responsibility; staff said city crews should keep riprap clear and SEH will point out specific vegetation or trees that need removal for structural stability.
After discussion the council approved the resolution. Roll call recorded the following ayes: Scott, Menard, Jourty/Jertie/Jourde (transcript variants), Fisher, Briggs, Cavalier and Brecken. The motion carried.
Staff reported they plan to meet with SEH after the inspection to define roles for future annual inspections and noted SEH has in the past recruited city employees to perform parts of the inspection to reduce cost.
