Council hears engineering update: sewer lining additions, Seventh Street punch list and Gun Club Road drainage challenges

Beresford city engineers told the City Council that contractors have identified additional sewer pipe sections that could be lined this year and that saturated soils on Gun Club Road will likely require drain tile and a heavier road base before Metro Construction can resume hauling material into the VOC development.

The engineering firm Banner, represented by Pat, summarized project status and costs and asked the council to expect follow-up price proposals and possible change orders. Pat said the sewer project team identified about $200,000 of additional lining work that could be added now because the contractor’s bid prices were lower than expected and contingencies across projects were available. "We identified about another $200,000 worth of lining work that could be added," Pat said.

The report also covered outstanding items from the Seventh Street utility extension: Banner completed a walk-through, produced a punch list and recommended an area drain east of the clubhouse to fix a low spot holding water. Pat said some concrete and grading work remain and that the contractor (First Rate) would provide pricing for the additional work.

On the VOC development off Gun Club Road, Banner reported highly saturated soils confirmed by recent geotechnical borings. Pat advised a possible long-term fix consisting of roughly 500–700 feet of drain tile from east of Third Street to near the detention pond and a thicker section of oversized rock plus a gravel wearing surface. "Geotech has recommended 18 inches of oversized with 4 inches of gravel," Pat said, adding the team was considering a modified section closer to 12–16 inches of oversized material and 6–8 inches of gravel. He said crews will try to scale the design in coordination with a geotech meeting scheduled the following day.

Banner staff said the saturated soils are preventing Metro and other contractors from accessing the development site via Gun Club Road; until the subgrade is stabilized, Metro has been unable to haul gravel from the east without using city streets. Pat explained that tying drain tile into existing 24-inch outlet pipes near the detention pond or, if necessary, into twin culverts further east, would provide an outlet for the subsurface water.

Council members and staff asked for pricing and for a geotech follow-up; Pat said staff expect to bring change-order proposals back to the council for formal action. Pat also reminded the council that a coordination meeting on the sewer-lining project was scheduled with contractors to prioritize work given the imminent school start and other traffic impacts.

Why it matters: Adding lining work now could accelerate rehabilitation of failing sewer sections at a unit price established by the current contract, while Gun Club Road instability is blocking material deliveries and delaying the VOC development schedule. The engineering recommendations — drain tile and added rock base — would add material and cost and likely require formal council approval of change orders.

Additional context: Pat reported a TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) application review meeting with the state DOT that week to refine a proposed route and improve the application due this fall. He also suggested the council consider a placeholder line item for "general engineering" in the 2026 budget so the city can rapidly fund small-scope engineering tasks without ad hoc budget amendments.

Council direction and next steps: Staff will collect pricing from contractors (First Rate, Metro, others), hold the geotech follow-up and present recommended change orders and budget adjustments for council action at a future meeting.

Sources: Engineer Pat of Banner; council discussion at the meeting.