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Council previews public-works contracts, purchases and a questioned change order
Summary
Public-works items included bus‑stop design work, gas‑meter purchases, lead-service-line contract increases and a $35,000 change order for steam-plant piping work that a councilor asked administration to explain; staff said they would follow up before Monday’s meeting.
During the agenda preview Public Works and Utilities presented several consent items that drew councilor questions, including design and procurement contracts, technology purchases and contract amendments for lead-service replacement.
Councilor Dust Chatel outlined items including a $94,628 contract with LHB Inc. for DTA bus-stop improvements, a purchase of gas‑meter encoder receiver transmitters at approximately $370,000, and an amendment to an LHB agreement for 2025 lead-service-line replacement projects that would increase that contract by $204,141.
Separately, Councilor Durwachter raised concerns about a change order on the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center deck repair (Stack Brothers Mechanical Contractors Inc.) that added roughly $35,000. Durwachter said one event appeared to be the contractor being prevented from working by the plant manager and another involved $10,000 of materials being locked up; he questioned why the city would bear those costs. Administration (Mr. Staling) asked for time to provide a fuller response before the Monday meeting.
Other consent items included purchase of a hydro‑vac truck for roughly $596,635 to support utilities work and an application for transportation alternatives funding for the Cross City Veil project. Staff offered to connect councilors with relevant department directors (e.g., Director Benning for meter questions) to supply technical details.
Councilors sought additional follow-up on the lead‑service increase and the Stack Brothers change order; administration said it would provide clarifying information before the full council meeting.
