City of Tower holds special meeting to complete October business

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2017 — October has been a busy month for the Tower City Council. The council met in a special session on Monday to conduct two final items of business—canceling the sale of a business park lot to Lamppa Manufacturing and to accept the low bid for Hoodoo Point Campground improvements and expansion.

At its previous meeting, October 23, the council unanimously approved selling a lot which has yet to be platted, south of State Highway 135, to the wood stove manufacturer. City Clerk-Treasurer Linda Keith explained that the company’s plans have changed since Lamppa met with Steve Peterson, an Iron Range and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) employee. The new plan, Keith informed the board, is to work on the project over the winter season and the city, utilizing IRRRB funds, will build the manufacturing facility and lease it to Lamppa Manufacturing. “This is similar to the way we handled Power Rain,” Keith said. Mayor Josh Carlson called for a motion to rescind the sale the city council approved last week. A motion was quickly made and unanimously approved by the entire city council.

Completing a call for bids to correct portions of failed wastewater treatment infrastructure and build seven new campsites at Hoodoo Point Campground. Engineer Jason Chopp, project manager, Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc, presented the council with itemized costs for each bid, from three companies. Chopp told the council that he could see no reason why it would not want to accept the low bid. “We took out some smaller items that can easily be handled by the city’s maintenance department,” Chopp said.

The city council unanimously voted to accept the low bid of $412,391 from Utility Systems of America, located in Eveleth, Minn. Wagner Construction, International Falls submitted a bid of $495,841 and Low Impact Excavators bid $581,544.16.

The city first called for bids and reviewed them at its September 25 meeting. At that time Low Impact Excavators, Ely, bid $472,449.16 to complete the infrastructure work and construct the campsites and Wagner Construction, International Falls, submitted a bid of $603,000. However, Keith reported that she discovered a math error of approximately $25,000 more in the proposed line item costs of the Low Impact Excavators bid and the total cost stated in the bid was wrong. According to Keith, when she contacted them they said that Low Impact Excavators could not honor the bid total submitted, but would honor the higher number. It was reported that the city’s attorney recommended republishing a new call for bids. The city council unanimously approved calling for the new bids, which were awarded October 13, starting September 30.

“May 15 is the deadline to have all pipelines in place,” Chopp explained to the city council. The 2018 Minnesota fishing opener will be Saturday, May 15, and it is expected that construction will not hinder camping at Hoodoo Point.

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