| Wolf Lake may hold final payment | | Print | |
| Written by MATTHEW JOHNSON |
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Abbreviated report The City of Wolf Lake will likely hold the final five percent of construction pay, from septic contractor Burski Excavating, until all contractual obligations are met. The contractor, which recently completed installation of the now operational, million-dollar-plus Corrective Action city sewer system, has yet to complete final seeding and possibly other "clean-up work" as well. Joeb Oyster of Moore Engineering assured the Wolf Lake City Council, during its Tuesday, November 10, regular monthly meeting, that it is within the city's rights to withhold the final five percent of the construction payment until all contractual obligations, including seeding/clean-up details, have been met. Oyster told the council the contractor has been waiting for better drying conditions and for the ground to completely settle from the installation before returning to finish seeding and any other final touch-up work that needs to be done. He said it's likely the contractor will have to return next spring to finish. The council's consensus, under such a scenario, is to hold the final five percent until next spring, after the contractor meets all contractual obligations. During the meeting, the council did approve a $25,286 payment to Burski, although it's not the final payment. The council also approved payment of a $705 bill submitted by Jason Mickelson, former sewer maintenance worker for the City on the old sewer system. The bill included $105 for sewer work done in December of 2008, and "on call" maintenance duty from January through August of this year at a rate of $75 per month. Mickelson did not apply for a maintenance position earlier this year to work on the new sewer system. The new system requires a certified operator, and Wayne Rost has been hired for that job. Also, William Jackson is the city's main wastewater maintenance technician who needs to complete a one-year internship under Rost, in addition to passing the appropriate state tests, before he can be a certified operator. Kyle Hertell is Jackson's assistant. City to Repair Leaky Liquor Store Roof Councilmember Rodney Aho informed the council that the city could repair the leaky roof at Wolf Lake Liquors for $1,500 or less. Water has been leaking where the older and newer portions of the roof meet. One result of the leaking is discolored ceiling tiles. Rodney said $1,500 is a high estimate on fixing the leak from Herzog Roofing out of Detroit Lakes. He also said that Herzog was not impressed with how the roof was constructed overall, but that it is repairable. Council Awards Snow Plowing Job After reviewing two bids for the snow plowing job in Wolf Lake, the Council unanimously approved the low bid by Kyle Hertell. Hertell's basic rates are $225 for plowing following a 2-to-6-inch snowfall, and $275 following a 6-to-12-inch snowfall. Other Business In other business Tuesday, November 10, the Council: •Approved a $1,500 budget to purchase a new computer system for the city office, since the hard drive on the current system recently crashed. Wolf Lake City Clerk Lori Laine assured the Council past city records in the computer can be retrieved on a back-up system at least through the month of October. •Approved liquor store hours for the winter season. The store will close at 10:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, which are usually "slow" nights, at 11 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The liquor store is not open Sundays. •Tentatively set the date for the annual Wolf Lake Winter Fest for Saturday, February 20. A planning meeting was scheduled for Monday, November 16. Anyone who is interested in helping with the event in any way can contact Janelle Lake or John Aho. •Was informed by Wolf Lake Fire Chief Bret Anderson that the department has applied for training reimbursement funds and emergency vehicle/defensive driving funds. The earliest the department may hear back regarding possible funding is the beginning of December. •Was informed by Chief Anderson that a total of 11 firefighters have been scheduled lately for "Firefighter 1" training in Menahga, which provides training of basic firefighting skills. Anderson said it's possible to have all Wolf Lake firefighters certified in the training by next February. The regular monthly meeting of the Wolf Lake City Council is usually at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month in the Wolf Lake Rescue building. |