New Richmond council approves tree-removal and infrastructure bid awards, and authorizes several bid solicitations

The New Richmond City Council approved several procurement items and authorized multiple solicitations for public-works projects at its meeting.

Council accepted the low bid for ash tree removal and stump grinding from Save A Tree for $43,100 after staff and the public works committee recommended the low bidder. "The low bid included in your packet was from Save A Tree, and the low bid amount of $43,100," the city administrator said.

On cured-in-place pipelining (CIPP), staff said only Visu Sewer submitted a bid and recommended proceeding; staff reported the low bid at $86,181.25 and that the amount is within the anticipated budget and close to last year’s cost. The method allows renewal of water mains without full street reconstruction, reducing the need to remove trees or dig up streets.

Council authorized staff to solicit bids for lead service line replacements, with staff planning to target 12 private service-line replacements in 2026. The administrator said the city's ordinance requires replacing both the public-side connection and the private-side gooseneck and noted homeowners can opt to pay over time under city options.

Council also authorized staff to solicit bids for a public works shop lighting upgrade funded by a $25,000 grant (no match required unless costs exceed the grant) and for a downtown street-lighting replacement project. Staff said bids for the downtown work would return in March and noted WPPI Energy offers a no-interest revolving loan payable over 10 years that could partially fund the project.

All procurement motions reported in the transcript were approved by the council; roll-call tallies were recorded as affirmative by the attending aldermen when the transcript captured roll calls.