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Council green-lights water-tower pay requests and sets standard flag arrangement
Summary
The council approved pay requests tied to the historic water tower rehabilitation, discussed structural concerns (stucco deterioration), approved change orders and signage for street work, and set a standard flag arrangement for next season (one Brainerd city flag, two U.S. flags, and a POW/MIA flag).
Brainerd's council on July 7 approved multiple pay requests and a change order tied to ongoing infrastructure work on and around the city's historic water tower, and provided staff direction on which flags should fly from the tower each season.
During the Safety and Public Works committee report, council discussed a semifinal pay request for the historic water tower rehabilitation. Staff noted ongoing stucco deterioration that has led to weathering and small pieces starting to fall from the tower exterior, and described the planned preservation treatments (sand blasting, patching and repainting). Councilmembers asked whether internal metal stairs were structurally unsafe; staff said no recommendation had been made to declare them unsafe and that planned work focuses on preservation and corrosion control.
The council also approved smaller items coming from committee: a final pay request for the Laurel Street bridge repair (retainage payment), a $3,200 change order to add supplemental signage on a reconstruction project to improve traffic control, and authorization to advertise bids for an M Street outfall repair (engineer estimate about $169,420).
On the water tower'flags question, staff proposed a standard arrangement to avoid repeated annual debate. After discussion the council amended and approved a motion to make the standard arrangement next year one Brainerd city flag, two American flags, and one POW/MIA flag (city staff will source reinforced Brainerd flags to hold up through the season). The council recorded that the flags are typically installed at Memorial Day and remain through the end of summer.
What this means next Engineering and public-works staff will process the approved pay requests and change order, and will proceed with bid advertising for the M Street outfall project; parks/public-works staff will procure reinforced Brainerd flags and implement the council's standard flag arrangement in the next flag-installation cycle.
Source: Safety and Public Works committee and council discussion, Brainerd City Council meeting, July 7, 2025.
