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Council orders separate bids after Harbor project bids come in too high; approves LRIP sponsorship for Marina Drive
Summary
The City of Tower rejected combined Harbor Project bids as too high, authorized separate bidding to reduce costs, and approved St. Louis County Resolution 25-534 (LRIP sponsorship) for Marina Drive reconstruction after split council votes. Funding hopes include a $180,000 MN Housing grant and up to $500,000 from IRRR (acronym not expanded in the minutes).
The City of Tower on Dec. 8 voted to seek separate bids for the Harbor Project after combined bids for soil remediation and infrastructure exceeded anticipated costs. Councilor Bob Anderson moved to call for separate bids to try to reduce the overall price; Councilor Joe Morin seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
City staff reported a $180,000 grant from Minnesota Housing had been secured for the Harbor Project and that the city was hoping to obtain $500,000 from a source recorded in the minutes as “IRRR” (the minutes do not expand that acronym). Councilors discussed whether dividing the work—separating remediation from infrastructure—could bring contractors in at lower costs.
Separately, the council considered a Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) sponsorship and cooperative agreement from St. Louis County (Resolution 25-534) for the Marina Drive Reconstruction Project. Councilor Joe Morin moved to approve the sponsorship and cooperative agreement. The motion carried with Councilors Morin, Van DeVoort, Norby and Mayor David Setterberg voting aye and Councilor Bob Anderson voting nay.
Council then approved a draft city resolution updated with SEH’s revised numbers to reflect the Marina Drive Reconstruction; the same four council members voted aye, and Councilor Anderson voted nay. Councilors noted concerns about the city taking on multiple major projects at once and discussed the potential need to manage scope and bidding strategy to keep costs down.
Next steps identified by the council include requesting SEH to finalize updated bid numbers, proceeding with separate bids for the Harbor Project as authorized, and advancing the LRIP paperwork with St. Louis County.
