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Lakefield council approves $4.11 million street and utility contract, awards geotechnical work
Summary
The Lakefield City Council on May 18 approved a $4,112,366.06 contract with M.R. Paving and Excavating for the 2026 Street and Utility Improvement Project, amended an assessment resolution to push the first installment to January 2028, and awarded geotechnical services to Geotek Engineering not to exceed $53,175.
On May 18, 2026 the Lakefield City Council approved a $4,112,366.06 contract with M.R. Paving and Excavating, Inc. of New Ulm for the construction of the 2026 Street and Utility Improvement Project, covering the base bid and Alternate 1.
City Clerk Holly Rademacher noted a clerical error in Resolution 26-13 and asked the council to amend paragraph 3 so that "the first of the installments [is] to be payable on or before the first Monday in January, 2028," rather than 2027; the amendment was approved on a motion by Councilmember Heather Hussong-Reasoner, seconded by Jeff Paplow, by voice vote.
SEH representative Brent Kavitz briefed the council on the bids and the alternates. He said Alternate 1 calls for removing and replacing the 10-inch water main, while Alternate 2 would leave the main in place and work around it. Kavitz warned that Alternate 2 could require more saddles for water service connections and "could cause weak spots in the main," a key reason the council approved Alternate 1 with the low bidder. The council approved Resolution 26-16 to authorize entering a contract with M.R. Paving and Excavating on a motion by Brent Pavelko, seconded by Hussong-Reasoner; the voice vote was recorded as all yes.
Council and SEH also reviewed two geotechnical proposals. Geotek Engineering and Testing Services Inc. submitted a proposal estimated between $41,925 and $53,175; Chosen Valley Testing Inc. submitted a substantially higher bid of $170,323. SEH explained the primary cost difference was in concrete testing: Chosen Valley proposed roughly 166 site visits for concrete testing (quoted at about $118,638 for that portion), whereas Geotek proposed approximately 30–40 visits. Based on that comparison SEH recommended Geotek; the council approved awarding geotechnical services to Geotek in an amount not to exceed $53,175 on a motion by Andrea Monson, seconded by Jeff Paplow, voice vote, motion carried.
The contracts approved by the council cover construction planning, replacement of a 10-inch water main under Alternate 1, and the geotechnical testing schedule. Council discussion focused on the scope and trade-offs between replacing the main versus working around it and on concrete-testing approaches. The council did not discuss financing details beyond amending the assessment resolution's installment year; the amended language delays the first installment to January 2028.
The council's next scheduled meeting is June 8, 2026.
