International Falls council approves design work for Kutaska building amid public concern over costs and transparency

The International Falls City Council voted to proceed with design and construction services for renovating the Kutaska Building to house the city police department, approving Kraus Anderson to lead the project after a lengthy public comment period and council debate.

The council approved a motion to retain Kraus Anderson for design and construction services for the Kutaska Building; the motion was made by Councilor Holden and seconded by Councilor Wagner and passed by a 4-1 vote. The motion directs staff to advance design work and cost estimates through project completion so the council can consider final costs and next steps.

The decision followed more than an hour of public comment and discussion. Multiple residents expressed concern about the project’s price, its effect on taxpayers and small businesses, and whether the police department could instead return to or remain in existing county space known as the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) or continue leasing at Backus. Susan Wodiga, a resident who said she had forwarded emails to city and county officials, described building problems she has observed at the LEC — “heating and cooling issues,” repeated sewage backups and a bucket collecting water in a squad room — and asked, “has there been any cost analysis done on this to find out what repairs actually need to be made and how much the expense would be?”

Other residents raised affordability and timing concerns. Sharon Ball said recent tax increases and a shrinking population make large capital projects difficult for many residents to afford. Joe Canter and other commenters, including Rhonda Benedix and Steven Blair, urged the council to slow the process and consider alternatives such as mediation with the county or combining services. Wayne Fuller asked specifically whether a February 13 county board letter had been considered; Mayor Dill said the letter had been received and could be placed on a future agenda if the mayor requested it.

Council debate focused on costs, space comparisons and timing. Councilor Wagner presented a square-footage and rental-cost comparison among the LEC (10,300 square feet, roughly $13,000 per month, about $159,000 per year), the Backus space the department currently leases (about 4,877 square feet, roughly $6,400 per month, about $77,000 per year), and the Kutaska Building (about 13,000 square feet, about $9,166 per month, about $110,000 per year). Wagner argued the Kutaska option would lower ongoing occupancy costs for taxpayers. Wagner also said the larger Kutaska space would reduce remodeling in some areas and that the council planned to take the work “a step at a time” starting with the building’s ‘‘heart,’’ such as roof and HVAC upgrades.

Councilors and staff repeatedly cautioned that the project cost estimates have changed during planning. Council members and commenters mapped an earlier project figure of about $5 million down to $3 million in later estimates, and one councilor said staff and council were “shooting for” approximately $1.6 million in current estimates, while also acknowledging final numbers are not yet available. Mayor Dill and City Administrator Betty Bergstrom told the council and public that detailed cost numbers will only be available after the design work and assessments are completed and that staff and department heads are available to brief council members directly.

Several councilors and the mayor emphasized process and communication. Mayor Dill urged colleagues to place the county letter on the agenda if they wished; Administrator Bergstrom reminded the mayor and councilors her office is available to provide materials and said the administrator’s role is to support the council’s decision-making. Councilors also said portions of the work may be done by city employees to reduce costs if schedules permit.

The motion approved by the council authorizes Kraus Anderson for design and construction services through project completion; it does not commit the city to the full construction budget. Councilors indicated they expect further design-phase reporting and cost estimates to return to the council before any construction contract awards or long-term financing decisions.

Votes at a glance on the Kutaska resolution: motion to retain Kraus Anderson — mover: Councilor Holden; second: Councilor Wagner; outcome: approved, tally 4 yes, 1 no (no individual casting the single no vote was not recorded in the roll call as a named vote in the minutes provided).