Fergus Falls council approves 10-year engineering contract with Moore Engineering amid RFP dispute and staff separations

Fergus Falls — The City Council on June 2 approved a 10-year master agreement with Moore Engineering to provide the city’s general engineering services for a monthly fee of $16,000 and a flat 15% fee for project work, a change city staff said will reduce annual costs compared with the city’s current engineering expenses.

The move came after a lengthy discussion in which some council members criticized the process for not issuing a request for proposals. Andrew Bramstaff, who presented the contract, said the personnel committee negotiated the arrangement and highlighted projected savings: "We currently are paying just over $633,000 for these services, so it'd be an annual savings... just north of $440,000 a year," Bramstaff said.

Council member [speaker 6] pushed for a formal RFP and greater transparency, saying the city missed an opportunity to evaluate multiple firms and to let residents compare proposals. "An RFP would have increased transparency and public confidence," the council member said, adding concerns about perceived favoritism.

Representatives from Moore Engineering defended the proposal and described a team approach that will include a named city engineer and several named engineers who will work with city staff. Kyle Meyer of Moore Engineering introduced himself at the meeting, saying he has "been with the company for 26 years" and has served as city engineer for other communities. The council then approved a resolution appointing Meyer as city engineer.

The meeting also included approval of separation agreements for three affected employees previously on the city's engineering team. Bramstaff said the agreements—negotiated with the employees and their union representatives—provide a lump-sum payment equal to four months' wages, four months' single-health insurance contribution, and payout of accrued vacation and sick leave (amounts vary by employee). Councilors praised departing staff and expressed appreciation for their years of service.

Interstate Engineering representatives told the council they chose not to submit a competing proposal because they felt disadvantaged by the pace and the limits of information available during committee negotiations. "By the time we were made aware of this process... we had no clue what scope of work would look like," a representative said.

Council members pressed for clarity on contract details including how the 15% project fee would be calculated, termination language, insurance coverage for errors and omissions, and how future project complexities would be handled. Staff said the agreement includes out clauses and that the council can terminate if performance or other conditions are unsatisfactory.

The council approved the master agreement by roll call. The personnel and contracting votes were the most contested items of the evening, with multiple members requesting follow-up briefings on contract language and performance metrics.

The council’s action takes effect immediately; staff said Moore Engineering will begin work with a team that includes the newly appointed city engineer and other Moore staff who will be visible to the public and work with city departments on projects.