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Pottawattamie County officials say 32 miles of Pioneer Trail pipeline installed; staff recommend changing forgivable-loan deadline
Summary
Tom Coleman reported 32 miles of pipe installed in the Pioneer Trail water project and recommended the board consider extending contract/forgivable-loan deadlines after work crews return next week for final pressure testing and final connections.
Tom Coleman, Manager of Regional Water for Pottawattamie County, told the Board of Supervisors that 32 miles of pipeline for the Pioneer Trail water project were installed as of Jan. 18 and that crews from Holstein Excavating are scheduled to return next week to conduct pressure testing and complete final service connections.
Coleman said if weather cooperates the county could see water flowing in April and that staff remain confident the project will meet the board’s revised substantial-completion target of June 2025. “There are 32 miles of pipe in the ground, as of the January 18,” Coleman said during the meeting.
The update included two schedule-related complications explained to the board: a change in the planned source route that required reworking hookups (a neighborhood homeowners association declined a street tie, which forced a route through Johnson Tower), and one valve the county’s observer identified that did not meet the federal “BABA” Buy-American-type requirements tied to the project’s federal forgivable loan. Coleman said crews will replace that valve immediately when they return.
Coleman also told supervisors the original construction contract contains a stop-dead date of March 15, 2025, which the county will exceed. He recommended the board consider adjusting contract and forgivable-loan deadlines — proposing a new date tied to the projected June 2025 substantial completion — and noted county staff will bring an amendment to a future meeting for formal approval. A county staff member (Kristen) agreed to place the amendment on the next agenda for board consideration.
Board members asked clarifying questions about homeowner punch-list work and valve counts; Coleman said contractors will address grading and other punch-list items to property owners’ satisfaction and that crews would “switch that one valve out stat.”
No formal vote was taken on the forgivable-loan or contract amendment during the meeting; the item was presented as discussion-only, and staff were directed to return with a draft amendment to the board for approval.
Background: Holstein Excavating of Edgerton, Minnesota, was the contractor that installed the pipeline. The county’s earlier timeline presentations showed a June date as a worst-case substantial-completion projection; the update indicated the county expects to beat that date provided weather and remaining connections go as planned.
Next steps: Staff will prepare and place a contract amendment and any needed forgivable-loan deadline change on a future board agenda for formal action.
