Council approves professional services for lift-station rehabilitation with staff follow-up

The Blackduck City Council on Feb. 9 approved professional services to begin a lift-station rehabilitation project, with the approval conditioned on further consultation with an absent staff member. Council members spent an extended discussion weighing whether to proceed with three urgent station repairs now or defer and roll them into a larger future project.

Council heard that the professional-services scope includes a site survey, documentation of existing pipe, flow analysis and pump right-sizing rather than a simple equipment swap. Staff warned the preliminary quote from Minnesota Pump Works represents an initial estimate and that full costs would include design, administration and bond issuance fees.

The debate centered on timing and cost: some members argued the three identified stations are urgent and should be fixed before a failure, while others suggested consolidating work into a larger multi-station project to achieve better procurement efficiencies. Council discussed bonding schedules, possible special meetings, and whether grant or future project funding could absorb this work.

After discussion, a council member moved to approve the professional-services proposal for the lift-station rehabilitation project with the contingency that staff (including the absent public-works staff member Mike) review and accept the plan; a second was made and the motion carried. The council directed staff to meet with Mike and to confirm procurement and schedule details at the next work session or a special meeting if necessary.

Next steps: staff will document existing infrastructure, finish required surveys and report back with clarified cost estimates and a recommended procurement path. The council noted that design oversight (provided by Woods under contract) will be required for any major plumbing or infrastructure work.