Council approves Lone Star Prairie construction contract and raises maximum assessment

The City of Gardner authorized a construction contract and adopted an ordinance increasing the maximum special-assessment amount for the Lone Star Prairie Special Benefit District.

During the consent agenda the council authorized execution of a construction contract for the Lone Star Prairie Special Benefit District sanitary sewer improvements. Staff and council discussed bid differences for a lift station line item: one bidder (Cohort Enterprises) submitted a substantially lower line-item price on the wet-well work than other bidders and the engineer’s estimate. Kellen (a staff member) and another staffer said wide differences in individual line items sometimes occur and that mobilization-line items ranged from about $6,000 to $85,000 across bidders; staff reported they were not concerned about the low line-item price and recommended awarding the contract.

At the same meeting council considered a related ordinance amending prior actions (resolution number 2,140 and ordinance number 2,799) to increase the maximum assessment amount and to levy and assess special assessments on lots liable for the improvements. Staff said the revised total project cost is about $1,150,000 and the proposed total maximum assessment including financing costs is about $1,335,000. Staff recommended adopting Ordinance No. 2,827 to increase the maximum assessment and levy new assessments to fund the work.

Council moved and adopted Ordinance No. 2,827 and approved the construction contract. The council’s roll call on the ordinance recorded the following affirmative votes as read into the record: Councilmember McNair (yes), Councilmember Baldrick (yes), Councilmember Deaton (yes), Councilmember Green (yes) and Councilmember Schuh (yes). The motions to authorize the contract and to adopt the ordinance passed without recorded dissent.