New Prague Council awards $4.27 million street contract, upholds tobacco citation and approves several transfers and leases

The New Prague City Council on March 11 awarded the 2025 street and utility project to Holtmeyer Construction, upheld an administrative citation against New Prague Tobacco for a tobacco sale to a minor, approved a fund transfer that closes the CIP 02/2007 account, extended a three‑year agricultural lease on 39 acres of city athletic-complex land, approved termination of a separate lease at 411 Fifth Avenue NW and adopted a personnel handbook change allowing limited compensatory time.

The council’s actions came after project and enforcement updates from city staff and a lengthy discussion about regional training facilities for police and fire departments. Councilmembers emphasized public-notice steps and that several items will generate further follow up with residents or outside agencies.

City engineer Chris (City Engineer) told the council that 10 bids opened on Feb. 21 for the 2025 stream utility project and all were below the engineer’s estimate. “The low bid is in the amount of $4,268,296.04, and that's from Holtmeyer Construction,” Chris said, adding the low bid was roughly $1 million under the engineer’s estimate. He recommended the city award the project to Holtmeyer, noting the firm previously completed a 2023 street project for the city.

Chris said Holtmeyer had indicated, if awarded, it would likely begin work in early to mid‑May, depending on scheduling. He also said the city uses recent comparable bids and a modest inflation adjustment to build engineer's estimates and that, in this case, unit prices and total bids came in lower than anticipated. The council approved the award and passed the related resolution.

On enforcement, Tim (Police Chief) summarized an administrative citation issued Jan. 24 under city ordinance 117.05(a)(1) for the alleged sale of tobacco or nicotine products to a person under 21 on Jan. 6. The citation was the third in 36 months for New Prague Tobacco.…