Lake Elmo names Bolton & Menk as city engineer; Focus Engineering contract ended

The Lake Elmo City Council voted to appoint Nate Stanley of consulting firm Bolton & Menk as the city—ngineer and to approve an amendment to Bolton & Menk s the principal provider of professional engineering services for 2025. The motion, amended on the floor to include immediate termination of the city's existing contract with Focus Engineering, passed by voice vote.

Council members debated potential budget impacts and differences in billing structure before the vote. Administrator Nicole Miller told the council that Bolton & Menk ssumed responsibility as part of an asset sale involving Focus and that task orders had kept engineering services in place since Jan. 1. Miller said the recommended retainer fee to cover day-to-day engineering work would remain at $3,100 per month, the same level the city had been paying under the Focus arrangement.

Why it matters: council members said the decision preserves continuity of engineering services for immediate needs…