City consultants reported ongoing utility work on Park Avenue, with crews concentrating on water main installation after completing sewer work. Shane Wogerman described difficulty shutting water in portions of the system because some existing valves are not functioning and said crews will exhaust normal methods before pursuing options such as a temporary line stop, which would add cost.

“We're gonna make sure that there's always 18 inches of separation or more between the water and the sewer and the storm sewer utilities,” Shane Wogerman said, referring to the construction separation standard the contractor is following; he said crews will sleeve utilities where needed to maintain that separation.

Councilors were informed the contractor plans to proceed to Wind Street after Park Avenue work and that road grading and paving subcontractors are scheduled to follow the utility work so roadways are restored without long delays. Shane asked the council to be mindful of contingency funding for water work, noting contingency is limited on the water side.

Pay requests and approvals
- Payout number 2 (work reviewed and approved by IMEG staff) was presented as $129,783.57 for sewer and $20,549.64 for water, a combined $150,433.21; staff recommended approval.
- The council approved SRF pay request numbers 3 and 15 for the utility improvements project (sewer $23,280; water $27,510). Alderman Farge moved the SRF pay request approval; Alderman Tuckney seconded and the motion carried.
- The council approved ARPA pay request number 2 as presented for the project (sewer $129,783.57; water $20,549.64); staff noted SRF funds must be used for engineering fees rather than ARPA.

The council also discussed and agreed to enforce the no-Sunday-work protocol unless explicit permission is granted; staff said they would address any future unauthorized Sunday work with the contractor.

Discussion vs. decision
- Discussion: Field challenges (valve failures), construction sequencing, and separation standards were discussed; staff noted contingency constraints for water work.
- Direction: Staff will gather cost estimates for any special work (line stop or casings) and present options if extra work is needed.
- Formal action: Council approved the presented pay requests and payouts for the utility improvements project.