Hot Springs approves Bros Engineering agreement for Minnekata Bridge, city share reported at $71,928

The Hot Springs City Council voted to approve and authorize the mayor to sign a construction engineering services agreement with Bros Engineering, Inc. for services related to replacement, approach grading, surfacing, erosion and sediment control and incidentals for the Minnekata Bridge.

Council discussed that the $359,640 figure recorded in the motion represents Bros Engineering’s fees to administer the construction contract, separate from the bridge construction cost. City staff clarified the South Dakota Department of Transportation will reimburse 80 percent of that fee; the transcript records the city’s net share as $71,928.

City staff member Austin recommended adding an appropriation clause to the contract because the work crosses calendar years. Austin explained that the clause protects the city if funding availability varies by year: "Basically for budgeting and such, we need to ... it's based on funding for that year," he said. Council agreed to include appropriation language and to finalize contract language after the vote.

The motion passed on a voice vote. City staff said the city will pay the fee up front and receive DOT reimbursement thereafter.

Next steps: the mayor will sign the agreement and staff will update the contract to add the appropriation clause language before final execution.