The La Crosse council approved bidders’ proof of responsibility for two large contracts and authorized final payments on construction contracts, with one council member noting the work came in under budget.

Director Gallagher read two bids into the record: Schmidt Goodman Office Products Inc., Rochester, Minnesota, for $13,775,577 for furniture, installation and design services; and Brickell Brothers Inc., West Salem, Wisconsin, for $40,580,204 for general construction work including concrete, carpentry, steel erection, roofing and building demolition. A motion to approve the bidders’ proof of responsibility was made and the council voted to approve it.

The council also considered construction contract final payments; no guest speakers were present for that item. Director Gallagher moved approval of the final payments and Council President Dickinson seconded. Council President Dickinson commented, “I just want to note as I do on occasion that all of these are under budget, and I appreciate that.” The motion to approve the final payments passed.

The meeting materials attached to the agenda were referenced during the votes but the transcript did not specify which projects correspond to the final payments or provide line-item funding details beyond a comment that the items were under budget. Where funding sources were stated elsewhere in the meeting (for the pipeline camera purchase), staff said sanitary utility cash would be used; for these contract approvals the transcript did not specify funding sources or vote tallies.

All motions referenced in these items passed on council votes recorded at the meeting.